Cocorific: Season 6
by Summers-Girl
Summary: The next season in the Cocorific world following on from Cocorific Season 5 in which after Band Candy Giles and Joyce started seeing each other. GilesJoyce. Not strictly nesacery to read CS3,4 or 5 beforehand. Please take time to R&R. Carried on in CS7
1. Bargaining Part One

Okay you probably know the drill my now, hehe. This is a continuuation from CS3, CS4 and CS5 in which after Band Candy Giles and Joyce started dating, became engaged in CS4 and got married towards the end of CS5. Not strictly nesscecary to read CS3, 4 and 5 to read this, but couldn't hurt could it?

Also thanks to all the lovely people who reviewed CS5 all the way.

**g120**- Glad in a bad way that CS5 finishing was so heartbreaking for you. .::smiles::. Hehe. And you'll just have to see how the Scooby Gang fare and also, re the whole Joyce there to be Mom- well, you shalt see in this chapter.

**Rabidreject**- Thank you so much- what you said inflated by ego by a whole centimeter more. And, actually, I feel the same on the whole how much Joyce can effect season front. And well, you didn't have to wait long didja? Hehe. Just two days.

**Zigpal-** Thanks so much for review, and of course the claps. Glad you thought Joyce's thoughts on patrol were spot on. It's those kinda comments that make a girl proud .::wipes dramatic tear from eye::. Reall though, thank you.So anyway, on with the show.

* * *

"Come on!" 

Spike's cheer failed to move the rest of the group any faster as they all ran after the huge vamp they were chasing. And we're talking huge sumo-size huge...so, Spike was extremely exasperated when the slow pace of the others caused them to lose the vampire for the second time.

"I'm never gonna get anything killed with you lot holding me back!" He complained just as they caught up to him, all heavily winded.

"I thought," Tara said as she tried to catch her breath, "The big ones...tire more easily"

"No, that just over-the-hill shopkeepers," Spike told her with a look of disdain in Giles' direction.

"I'm fine," Giles said, his heavy breathing saying other wise, "I just need to...die a minute..."

"Where did he go?" Joyce asked, looking around.

"I dunno," Spike replied, "Could have gone that way," He pointed in one direction, before pointing in another, "Or that way"

"Well, maybe we should split up- surround him," Joyce suggested.

"Ye- wait, isn't red meant to be telling us these things?" He grumbled looking around as though searching in the air for one of Willow's telepathic instructions.

_Guys heads up._

"We're in business," Spike grinned as Willow's voice floated into all their heads.

_The vampire's circling back towards you. Six o' clock. Try to drive him towards the Van Elton crypt._

"Van Elton?" Giles asked Willow aloud, not sure which crypt she was referring to.

"Is that the one with the cute little gargoyle-" Tara began to ask but was cut off abruptly by the vampire bursting back into the clearing,making a huge racket as he knocked the bushes aside, breaking the branches.

"Well, that was rude," Joyce commented, when she saw how affronted Tara looked by this interruption.

_GUYS!_ Willow reminded them and the group set off after the vampire as it ran away in the opposite direction. _Left! Make him go left!_

"Well, how are-" Spike began to ask, but his question was answered by Giles throwing a battle axe. It embedded itself in the tree to the right of the vampire and so...it ran left.

And they ran after it.

They arrived just in time to see the vamp run right into Willow's trap as he reached a dead end. He barely had time to express panic and confusion before a fist came out and knocked him for six. Standing in front of him, in full slayer-pose, was Buffy. Or more specifically the Buffybot.

"Big, fast and dumb," Buffybot commented menacingly, "Just the way I like em" She kicked the fallen vamp and he stumbled even further backwards along the ground. And while he struggled to retain some equilibrium, Buffybot reached for her stake. She turned around to find he had already stood up and he looked mighty pissed. Before she could even attempt to dust him, he knocked the stake from her hands. He leaped for her, but the rest of the group jumped into the fray, knocking him aside out of her way, but only barely.

Tara and Joyce tried to push him against the crypt wall, ready for staking, but he pushed against them, knocking them aside and charging forward in the direction of Buffybot again. They had barely stood up again when they heard Willow yelling at them _Tara! Joyce! Down! _They ducked down just as Buffybot went sailing over their heads.

Whilst Sumo-Vamp watched the fallen 'Slayer' and Tara and Joyce got back up again, Giles attacked the vampire with the retrieved battle axe. It seemed to work at first, before the vampire used the weapon against him, pushing him up against the crypt wall where Tara and Joyce had been previously stood and began choking him with the battle axe.

As he clearly struggled for oxygen and was unable to shove the huge vampire off him, Joyce looked around for the stake the Buffybot had dropped only a moment ago. Rushing over, she grabbed it and ran back to the vampire and Giles. She staked the vamp in the heart through the back just as Spike reached them all. The vampire was dust and the axe clattered to the ground as Joyce stood there, still holding the stake.

"That's mine," Buffybot stated as she walked over, having recovered from her fall. She quickly and suddenly took the stake out of Joyce's hands.

"Are you okay?" Giles asked Joyce, rubbing his neck slightly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Joyce said abruptly, giving him a look that said 'why did you even ask?', "You were the one getting choked," Her tone was slightly harsh, but she had walked off in the same direction as Spike before anyone could comment on it.

_Guys! _Willow exclaimed at them all, _Help Xander and Anya! Over by Anderson's tomb!_

And then they were running again. All they ever seemed to do on patrol was run. The group arrived at the designated tomb just in time to see Anya swatted away by the vampire's hand into a nearby wall. The vampire, at the same time, had Xander in a painful-looking headlock.

"I got it!" Buffybot told them all, running over to the vampire. As she attacked the vamp, Xander managed to scramble free,much to his obvious relief. Buffybot wasn't doing too well though and took some brutal hits from the vampire, before Spike stepped in to help. He decked him and the vamp fell on his ass, allowing Buffybot to reach forward and stake him.

"That'll put marzipan in your pie plate, Bingo!" She told him as he turned to ash.

"What's with the Dadaism, Red?" Spike asked and as the group fell into the explanation, Giles turned to Joyce.

"Rather an eventful patrol tonight, don't you think?" He asked.

"Yeah," She shrugged, "I suppose so. It was only two vampires though," She reasoned, "There's usually more." She shrugged again, still not quite looking him in the eye as she hadn't done throughout the patrol, "We'll probably have more tomorrow" And with that she abruptly walked off, presumably heading towards the car.

Giles watched her go in concern. Straight after Buffy died, Joyce had been fully against all things patrol,not even wanting to allow the others to continue it. But then, the following week, Dawn had been attacked by a vampire on the way home from Chloe's. She'd been fine- luckily, Xander had been driving by when it happened and had immediately stopped to help her. Yet, this has caused a complete turnaround in Joyce.

From then on she had always found a babysitter for Dawn and had gone out on patrol herself every single night with everyone else. Never missing a one. She had taken an extremely formal attitude to the entire thing. Just going out, staking any vampires Willow pointed out, helping the others. The Plunge-and-move-on Routine. Giles was deeply worried for her. She seemed to be loosing herself in the patrolling, forgetting all other aspects of her life. He doubted she knew he had heard the message, but the answering machine had a call from Carole wondering why Joyce had hardly been in at the Gallery at all lately.

She seemed, Giles hazarded a guess, to be trying to take on Buffy's role of protecting Dawn from the big, bad Evil out there. Determined that none of it would hurt Dawn...or anyone else. But it was dangerous for her to become so involved, so...obsessed. She wasn't the Slayer so she could and probably _would_ get hurt, not to mention Dawn missed her at night. She had confessed as much to him a couple of weeks ago. Giles had reassured her, saying it was nothing, saying it was just to keep her safe 'blah, blah' but deep down he was worried about Joyce. Worried that the real truth was that she had a death wish.

This was a worry he hadn't been able to clarify or dismiss at all. She was so distant from him lately. Practically ever since Buffy died. Barely talking to him. Well, she did talk to him, it was just never a conversation. In all honesty, he wasn't worried for Joyce, he feared for her.

* * *

_""...so if you could just call me back, Joyce, let me know what's going on, when you'll be in, you know, that'd be nice. Plus it's the opening tomorrow night so we do really need you there so...Okay well...bye"_

_Beep!_

_End of messages"_

As Joyce finished listening to numerous answer phone messages left by people from work, she decided that today she really had to make time to go in. She'd just been so busy lately...with things. Not to mention after what happened she hadn't exactly been in the working mood. But she couldn't even tell her friends from work that, because they weren't even to know Buffy had died. They had no idea that something earth shattering and life altering had happened to her. No idea.

After making this decision, and finding she felt better for it, she walked through the living room into the kitchen to find the Buffybot there. She was just sat there, on one of the stools, swinging her legs casually as she looked around. This is what made it so much harder. It was bad enough having to see her everyday, reminding her that while it _seemed_ like Buffy was here with them, she wasn't and never would be, but the bot had taken up permanent residence at the house as there was little room for it at Xander's and the university kinda frowned on students having life-like robots in their dorms.

"Hi Mom," The Buffybot smiled. Yep, that was made it even harder- when the bot called her 'Mom'.

"Hi," Joyce replied uncomfortably, before heading to the fridge to get herself some juice. She changed her mind half way as she realized this morning was more the start of a coffee day.

"Would you like some help?" Buffybot asked as she started making the coffee and Joyce shook her head.

"No, it's okay, but thanks,"

"Is there something I could do?" She asked, obviously eager to be helpful. Joyce found herself almost smiling as she thought on the fact Buffy would _never_ try and find a way to help with breakfast if she could avoid it. "I could make breakfast for Dawn," The bot suggested, "Or for lunch"

"Erm," Joyce looked around for something the bot could do, "Well, you could erm...you could make a sandwich for Dawn. For school. The bread's over there and the peanut butter is in that cupboard. Along with the jelly"

"Okay," Buffybot nodded with a smile, walking over to the pointed out places to get what she needed.

"But only two sandwiches though," Joyce reminded her as she thought on the day before where Dawn had agreed to let the bot help with dinner and everything had been made in triplicate...and triplicate again.

And while Buffybot worked away on Dawn's lunch, Joyce started on her breakfast. Pancakes were always a safe bet. Once she poured the mixture into the pan, she left it for a moment to step out of the kitchen slightly and call:

"Dawn! Breakfast! If you don't hurry up you'll be late for school!"

She walked back to the pan to flip the pancake. She was halfway through the second when she realized Dawn still hadn't come downstairs.

"Daw-" She began to shout when she turned to see Giles walk into the kitchen, still in his bathrobe.

"She's still in the bathroom," He informed her tiredly as he took a seat across from the Buffybot.

"She's still...?" She sighed in exasperation, "You finish breakfast," She told him, before walking out of the room and heading to the stairs.

"DAWN!" She called up, "You need to get ready! You don't want to be late for school!"

There was the sound of a door opening and then loud footsteps walking across the landing above. Dawn came stomping down the stairs loudly, she barely acknowledged her Mom was there before stomping right past her. Joyce shook her head and sighed in resignation before following on.

She stopped though when she was distracted by the front door opening as Willow and Xander walked in without knocking- a habit they seemed to have adopted over the years.

"Hey, no need to fear anymore," Xander announced, "I am a man and I have a tool"

Off Joyce's look, he suddenly turned very red before holding up his toolbox, "Tools. As in box of. As in...I'm a carpenter and tools is what...can I smell pancakes?" He walked off in the direction of the kitchen, following his nose.

"Morning," Willow smiled, "Just came over to work on the Buffybot's programming- you know try to get rid of that whole pie plate complex"

"Ah," Joyce nodded, "Well, she's just in the kitchen,"

As the two walked in they saw Buffybot had finished making Dawn's lunch and was now questioning Xander about his toolbox. Giles had finished Dawn's pancakes and she was eating grudgingly as though she weren't in the mood for eating at all.

"Uh, Rupert," Joyce said, as she reached around to get the cup of coffee she had left forgotten on the side a moment ago, "Tomorrow night is an opening at the gallery- so will you be here to look after Dawn?"

"I am here you know," Dawn said before Giles could reply, "And I can stay home on my own in a locked house."

"No," Joyce said firmly.

"But I'm fifteen years-"

"No," Joyce insisted, "I'm not leaving you here alone. I don't care what you say. It's not happening"

"It makes me feel like such a kid though," Dawn protested, "And I'm not. I'm the same age Buffy was when she became...the Slayer..." She trailed off quietly, realizing that was the wrong thing to say.

Silence fell on the entire kitchen and remarkably even the Buffybot stopped chattering.

"Would you like Spike to stay instead?" Joyce asked eventually, "Would that make it less childish?"

"_No,_" Dawn told her before adding, "But slightly cooler." she looked at Giles apologetically, "No offense"

"None taken I assure you,"

"Fine, Spike will look after you tomorrow night which means, Rupert?"

"Hmm?"

"You can patrol with the others" The statement left no room for debate. Joyce looked down at her watch and her eyes widened, "Oh, I've got to get going if I'm going to make to the gallery for a working hour. You'll all be okay here?"

"Yeah, sure," Willow nodded, before returning to look at the soldering wire Xander was showing her to use on the Buffybot.

"You're going to the gallery?" Dawn asked carefully and Joyce nodded.

"Yes, I mean I've been neglecting it a little lately. It's about time I started focusing more on it," She told her and no one seemed to notice how these words registered on a lot deeper level for Dawn.

"But Mom, what about school?" Dawn asked.

"Oh, erm," Joyce paused in thought, before making a decision, "Well, I'm, I'm sure Xander won't mind driving you there"

"Yeah, no problemo,"Xander nodded, "Me and the Dawnster will drive at the fastest..." He trailed off as both Joyce and Giles threw him a warning look and he immediately chose to finish his sentence a different way, "non-speed ever,"

"Mom," Dawn said again, "I don't mean about driving me there. It's Parent-Teacher day at school and as parent...you're sorta supposed to come," Joyce frowned, "You didn't forget did you?"

"That's today?" Joyce asked, frowning in confusion. She was sure it was meant to be next week.

"That or the banners that have been advertising it in the corridors were lying," Dawn joked feebly with an equally feeble smile

"Oh, right," Joyce switched which she foot she was putting most weight on as she contemplated what Dawn had told her, "O-okay, well let me just call Carole and we'll, uh, we'll head over."

Joyce left the room to make the call from the living room phone rather than the kitchen one.

"Why does she keep doing that?" Dawn asked Giles pleadingly and Willow and Xander suddenly wished they had somewhere else to escape to, but they didn't. They were trapped.

"Doing what, Dawn?"

"Forgetting things like Parent-Teacher Day," She explained, "She keeps hugging me when one of us comes home or one of us leaves and she's really, really protective but she barely seems to be actually paying attention to me..my life. She just keeps forgetting," Dawn sounded terribly upset, "Guess it pales in comparison to patrol, huh?" She asked them all bitterly.

"Dawn, that's not it at all," Giles assured her, "Your Mother just wants you to be safe- that's her number one priority right now."

"But it's _all_ she ever does," Dawn protested sadly.

"Well that's the Hellmouth for ya," Xander said, attempting to add levity to the situation, but Dawn didn't even crack a smile so he became more serious, "Your Mom isn't forgetting you Dawn, there's just a lot of stuff going on now. Everything will get back to normal soon, I promise,"

"How can it?" Dawn challenged, "When Buffy isn't here? Things will never be normal again as long as she's gone!"

No one replied, because they all knew what she was saying was true. Xander, feeling so uncomfortable he truly couldn't bear it started throwing the stuff he had put on the side, back into his bag, making sure not to take Joyce's handbag with it.

"Right, all set," Joyce announced with a morning-smile as she walked back into the kitchen. She then became acutely aware of the tense atmosphere in the room. She decided to avoid it. "Dawn, you ready to go?"

"Yep," Dawn managed a weak, brief smile before grabbing her bag off the side and heading out the back door. Joyce sighed at the rest of the group, before following her daughter out.

* * *

Night had fallen and Spike was looking after Dawn. Everyone else was on patrol. 

"You look a little happier tonight niblet," Spike commented as he tried to find a decent song on the radio to play in the background, "I thought you didn't like your Mum patrolling and that" She confessed this to him the last time he had babysat. Though she'd kill him (or attempt to) if she found out he referred to it as that- babysitting. It wasn't that he thought she needed babysitting, or saw it as boring but what else was he supposed to call it? What the boy called it? Dawn Patrol? Not bloody likely.

"Well, I don't," Dawn admitted, "But tonight's kinda different. The rest of the gang are patrolling somewhere else they said- different side of Sunnydale or something- so that means Mom and Giles are patrolling together"

"And this...is the cause for 'the happies'?" Spike asked slowly, not understanding what she was getting at.

Dawn looked down forlornly for a moment at the floor before seeming to decide to make a confession.

"They haven't been getting on very well lately," Dawn told him, "Things have been kinda tense between them ever since...well, you know"

"Yeah, I know," Spike told her in the serious tone he so very rarely used.

"But lately it's been extra. Kinda since the school year started...as though that was one thing too many," Dawn looked at Spike and for a moment she looked innocently child-like, more so than usual, "I was afraid they were gonna get a divorce or something. Like with Dad"

"I don't think things are that bad, love," Spike scoffed not unkindly.

"I know," Dawn rushed to agree, "But still...it gave me bad feelings in my belly. I mean Giles keeps trying to be all smiley with Mom...but she's just as distant with him as she is with me. It's like she doesn't wanna be close with...with anyone"

Spike scrutinized Dawn with interest.

"What?" She asked, wondering what he was looking at.

"You know, you're a lot more insightful...you've got more about you than they give you credit for," He told her honestly and it brought a little smile to her lips, the compliment obviously making her feel very pleased. Proud of herself even.

"Well, anyway," She said, trying to act as though she had taken the huge compliment in her stride, "So when they said they were patrolling alone together tonight...well, it made me very happy, coz it means they might be okay." Then suddenly, Dawn's expression turned to one of guilt and Spike immediately spotted it.

"What?" He asked, leaning forward towards her slightly, "What else? Have you done something?" He grinned at the thought of Dawn going behind Giles' back, but then realized he was meant to be playing the responsible babysitter and he forced his smile to disappear, "Something bad, I mean and so something that should be immediately rectified"

"Well," She squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, "You know like I said it was _Mom_ who was being all distanty?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, I was kinda afraid she was gonna mess it up. Make it all worse, so..." Dawn bit her lip nervously, looking ironically like the Mother of which she was talking about, "remember the band candy?"

"Yeah," Spike couldn't help but laugh a little at the memory, "Really gave 'em all a run when it was time to meet-the-parents didn't it?"

"And you know like they thought they'd got rid of any that was left?" Dawn asked and Spike nodded.

"Yeah, like straight after...wait." He frowned at Dawn, "What do you mean 'they thought'?"

"I only saved like two little squares of one bar!" Dawn exclaimed in her defense, "You know for future help. You know," Dawn shrugged, "To loosen them up if they wouldn't let me go to a party or something..you know, so they'd be more likely to say yes," When Spike didn't comment on this, reprimand her or anything, Dawn took it as encouragement to continue, "Well tonight, before they went patrolling...I kinda made Mom a hot chocolate"

Spike's eyes widened.

"It was only one of the squares!" Dawn hurriedly informed him, "That's all! The rest was normal hot chocolate! It didn't even seem to effect her that much...I just wanted her to be relaxed enough that she wouldn't..." Dawn became sad again, "that she wouldn't push Giles away..."

Spike didn't say anything. He was still processing the fact Dawn had essentially drugged her Mother. He couldn't believe it.

* * *

"You could hold my hand," Joyce suggested as she and Giles walked through Restfield Cemetery, "It could be like a date," She paused in thought, "A really dark, creepy date...but still" 

Giles smiled at Joyce in bemusement.

"What?" She asked.

"What has gotten into you tonight?" He asked.

"I don't know," She told him honestly, "Guess I'm just taking the opportunity to enjoy having some rare time to ourselves," She eventually told him, slipping her hand in his.

"Which I appreciate, I _really do," _He said, only briefly touching on how happy he was that Joyce had suddenly become so less distant in the mere twenty minutes they'd been alone, "But considering the fact we're in a Sunnydale cemetery, I think perhaps our attention should be on vampires"

"Well, if what I've heard is true," She said as the two of them leaned against a particularly tall gravestone, "then Buffy and Angel did both... so why can't we?" She asked him, but then realizing who'd she'd mentioned, her smile faded.

"It is okay to say her name you know," He told her softly, "Without having to fall into mourning again. It's the way you...we keep her alive, for real. Talking about her."

Joyce nodded in silent agreement and instead of kissing him as she had initially intended she just rested her head against his shoulder, still holding his hand.

Almost naturally, the two of them sat down together on the stone seat-like thing next to the gravestone, Joyce still resting her head on him as they held hands.

"So, Buffy used to have to do this every night?" Joyce half-asked as she glanced around the empty cemetery.

"Yes," Giles told her as he realized there was perhaps another reason to Joyce's sudden gusto for patrol. It was a way to better understand Buffy's life perhaps- another connection to her, another way of not letting her fade from their existence, keeping her alive.

"Did she ever get bored with it?" She asked him, "Doing the same old thing every night?"

"I don't think that was what caused her boredom," Giles admitted, "Rather when there were no vampires to dust she became bored. She used to bring yo-yos and snack food," He smiled wistfully at the memory as he remembered how Buffy had just yo-yoed innocently over someones grave or drank her soda loudly through a straw as she waited for the undead to rise, "And then there were the times she used to patrol with Angel...or Riley and then that was an entirely different form of distraction I believe"

Joyce craned her neck slightly to kiss Giles on the lips every so slightly, brushing his lips lightly with her own.

"Yes, that was the general idea," He agreed,straightening his glasses slightly with the arm that wasn't wrapped around Joyce.

"I don't know whether to thank you or apologize," She told him and he looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry I've been so...terrible lately,"

"You've not been-" Giles began to protest but Joyce spoke over him.

"Yes, I have. I've been barely speaking two words to you, I've been increasingly distant with Dawn...I'm a terrible Mother"

"What?" Giles asked incredulously, "That is ridiculous. In no way at all are you a bad Mother-"

"Well, that's what I wanted to say thank you for," She told him, cutting Giles off slightly again, "Thanks for putting up with it...with me...and the way I've been,"

"Joyce, there-"

_"ARGH!" _Giles' reply was cut off by the sound of a woman screaming. A second later the owner of the voice ran out of the bushes, followed closely by a tall and lanky vampire dressed in what seemed to be a Prom Tuxedo circa 1981.

"Well, this is decidedly bad timing," Giles commented as the two of them stood up before running to try and catch the vampire before it reached the young girl.

They never did quite catch up, the vampire having vamp-speed as an advantage obviously, but he ran his intended victim into a dead end and Joyce and Giles were able to use this to _their_ advantage. Ish.

Giles tackled the vamp, and the two of them went crashing into the wall. He immediately went to stake him, but the vampire shoved him aside and he went toppling into the opposite wall.

"Rupert," Joyce barely had time to exclaim in worry, before she had to return her attention back to the vampire who was cornering the girl again. But when she pulled him away, he showed how looks were deceiving as he tossed her aside as easily as if she were a piece of lint. The vampire then seemed think she was easier prey and started cornering her, backing her up against the crypt. She searched around for the stake she knew she had in her pocket and saw it several paces away from her, way out of her reach.

"Joyce," Giles, wielding his own stake, headed over to help her but was suddenly blindsided by a female vampire- who, presumably was the male vampire's 'girlfriend'. Twisted.

As she pushed him backwards he grabbed her shoulders and spun her around so she was the one heading for the crypt wall.

Joyce realized Giles was kinda busy for lack of a better word and so desperately looked around for something she could stake the vampire with as it's fangs became precariously close to her neck. She briefly hoped that the scar on her neck wasn't going to give him a better target.

As Giles grabbed the stake and went to pierce the vampire's heart, her survival and vampire instincts kicked in overtime and so she kicked him.

Joyce realized the only pointy wooden object around was unfortunately the stake she'd dropped so she had no other option but to try and get to it. She did the only thing she could to stall the vampire- elbowed him the face. He stumbled, but only slightly, yet it was still enough to give her room to crawl away towards the stake.

Giles backhanded his vampire effectively, causing her head to turn. He realized there really wasn't time to be proud of himself as the vampiress turned back to look at him with a snarl. Before she could do anything about it, he staked her quickly and effectively. She was dust within seconds. The ash cleared just in time to see Joyce staking her vampire from the ground upwards.

"Unh," She grumbled, as she rolled over onto her front to get herself up. He offered a hand to help her and she took it gratefully. As she steadied herself, with his other hand he plucked a leaf out of her hair that had entangled in there from the ground. She frowned when she saw it held in front of her, before shrugging, "It's a look." He gave her a look of his own, "Devil-may-care. Dawn told me it was the new thing in Vogue"

"Who...what were they?" A terrified voice asked and the couple were reminded that the almost-victim was still there.

"Erm...gangs on PCP?" Joyce suggested weakly, using Principal Snyder's favorite excuse for vampires. Snyder- that took her back a few years.

"But he- she, they _both_ turned to dust," The woman challenged, sounding a little unsure of it all herself though.

_"_Uh, well, you see, ah-" Giles struggled to explain.

"What are you doing taking a shortcut through the cemetery in the middle of the night?" Joyce decided a best defense was a good offense. She put on disapproving-Mother face for extra effect.

"Y-yes," Giles agreed, catching on "Do you realize how dangerous it is walking around here alone? Very irresponsible"

"Well, I was-" The woman began to defend herself, before she decided to stop, her fear at what she saw obviously making her give in, "I'm...I'll just be going home" And she ran off.

"You know," Giles said thoughtfully, "People used to say thank you when you saved their lives..."

Joyce just smiled at him good-naturedly.

"Terrible," She agreed, taking his hand again, "Come on. I think we'd better get home too."

They walked for a few paces, before Joyce stopped.

"What?" He asked.

"I think when we were walking before you had your arm around me," She told him and he immediately complied, wrapping his left arm around her and she held his left hand with her own and she stretched out her right palm so she could hold his other hand. It looked complicated she thought, but felt surprisingly simple.

"Much better," She nodded approvingly and they began to walk home.

* * *

"We're back," Joyce called as the two of them walked through the front door and at the sound of her voice Dawn jumped up out of her seat, eager to see how the patrol had gone- but not on the vampire front. 

Spike noticed that the couple walked in hand in hand, Joyce seeming to lead Giles into the room in a _slightly_ childish (or teenage...?) fashion, but thankfully only slightly. Apparently then, Dawn's plan had worked. He looked across at the bit and saw she was clearly having the same thought as he as she was wearing a broad smile.

"What are you smiling about?" Joyce asked, catching Dawn's look, but Dawn just smiled even wider when she saw her Mom didn't let go of Giles' hand to ask this question.

"Just Spike was telling jokes," Dawn lied in explanation and both Giles and Joyce looked at him accusingly.

"What?" He held his hands up in mock surrender, "Not those type of jokes I swear."

"Yes..." Joyce nodded, squinting at Spike in suspicion before turning her attention to Dawn, her slight-candy-induced good mood causing her not to lecture Spike on what was and wasn't appropriate topics to talk to Dawn about. So, maybe using the one remaining candy square would help Dawn sneak out to parties...well, what do you know. "Well, Dawn," Joyce said, "I know it's past _somebody_'s bedtime,"

"Okay," Dawn agreed without argument, "Night Spike," She waved to the vampire slightly, giving him a knowing smile after her band candy confession, before kissing her Mom on the cheek, "Night Mom, night Giles," Automatically, falling into routine, she almost kissed Giles goodnight on the cheek. She froze, realizing this wasn't a line that was ever really crossed, Stepfather or no. After all, he was still Giles. Then, seeing the fact that he and her Mom were still hand-holding she got a second burst of good moodiness and decided this once to go with it and so did give Giles a goodnight kiss on the cheek, before heading off upstairs.

"Poke him, he may fall over," Spike joked to Joyce as he looked at Giles' stunned face.

"Guess everyone's in a good mood tonight," Joyce surmised before sitting on the couch with the still stunned Giles. "Oh sweetie," She said, patting his hand affectionately as she saw how touched he was by Dawn's peck on the cheek.

"Hi guys," Willow said, walking into the house with Buffybot, "The bot had a bit of an issue on patrol. Navigational short. She came and found me at Xander's- thought I'd better bring her back before I go to the dorm. Robots cause issues if you have them wandering the residence halls," Willow joked.

"A short?" Giles asked, "How did that happen?"

"Well, I'll have to fix it tomorrow properly," Willow explained, pointing out the slash on the bot's head where the wires were visible, "But I think-" Willow stopped as she realized Giles hadn't leaned forward properly to have a closer look,"You know the shared inspection would work a lot better if you'd two would you know...hehe...cute as it is..._stop holding hands_"

"No," Joyce told her simply, holding Giles' hand tighter and so inadvertently pulling him closer to emphasize her answer. Spike smirked at this and barely covered up his laugh. They all frowned at him, wondering what he found so funny.

"I'd best be off, don't wanna get caught in the sunrise and all," He told them, leaving before they could point out that sunrise wasn't for five hours.

* * *

The next morning, when everyone had left the house, including Buffybot, Joyce was still looking for her purse. She'd found her handbag, her cell, her keys, but no purse...and that was kinda pivotal. She guessed that Buffybot may have accidentally taken it with her to the Magic Box with Giles. Not that she needed the purse, but recently- possibly as an effect of Willow programming her to act more human- she'd taken to taking items that human Buffy would take with her- hairbrush, mirror...and now, apparently,purses as well. Or more specifically Joyce's purse. She decided to just stop by the magic store on the way to the gallery to pick it up.

* * *

"Joyce, I thought you were at work today," Xander commented when he saw her walk into the Magic Box and she wondered for a moment how on earth he knew what her work schedule was. 

"I-I am," She told him, "After this, is...where's Buffybot?Or more specifically Buffybot's bag?"

"Huh?" Xander frowned.

"Well, it is a stylish bag," Anya admitted, "I think it's one of Dawn's."

"No," Joyce shook her head, "I think she put my purse in there...accidentally."

"Ah," Xander nodded knowingly, "A klepto robot- just what we were missing around here. She's in the training room. Giles is testing her reflexes- checking Will sorted everything out. Her bag's with her I think...not sure though- I don't really pay attention to the bot's accessories."

"Thanks," Joyce smiled before heading in the direction of the training room.

"I don't think that's true," She heard Buffybot saying as she reached the door, "You were very helpful to her"

"Right, I was the perfect Watcher," She heard Giles agree in a bitter voice and Joyce decided she wasn't ready to walk in just yet as she listened in at the door. "And I did what any good Watcher does. I got my Slayer killed in the line of duty."

"It wasn't your fault-" Buffybot protested.

"Of course not," Giles agreed, but Joyce heard that he wasn't quite convinced, "It's how every Slayer-Watcher relationship ends isn't it? She's gone. I did my job"

Joyce decided not to walk into the room at all and turned around to head back out the store.

"Hey, I thought you wanted your purse," Anya called after her.

"I'll get it later," Joyce replied, barely pausing to speak as she walked out the front door.

* * *

"Alright pet, Watcher man's already left for patrolling, the rest of the gang are patrolling elsewhere, yet you're still here wandering around,"Spike commented as he watched Joyce flit from room to room, already dressed for the opening at the gallery. She'd definitely gone all out for the occasion-red and white knee length dress that really flattered her shape and even Spike noticed where it emphasized the good bits, matching stilettos and her shoulder-length blond hair was falling more in waves than curls. "What's up?" 

"I still can't find my purse," She told him, clearly fretting.

"Maybe Xander put it in his bag," Dawn suggested as she took a bite from some of the leftovers from dinner.

"Pardon?" Joyce asked.

"Xander. The other day when he had that bag and his tool box, he kinda just swooped everything off the side into his bag when he was clearing up"

Realization dawned as Joyce realized she had left her purse on the kitchen side that morning.

"Oh," She exclaimed, grabbing her red coat, "I hope they haven't left yet," She rushed out of the kitchen, before rushing back, "See you later sweetheart and Spike?"

"Don't let her stay up too late, watch scary films, or run with scissors."

"Good, thanks," Joyce smiled at him, blew a quick kiss at Dawn before running out.

* * *

"So we have everything?" Xander asked as he looked warily at the urn of Osiris that Tara held in her hands.

"Everything," Willow confirmed, "Candles, Urn-"

There was a knock at the door and all four looked at each other nervously.

The person knocked again.

"Who could that be?" Anya whispered urgently.

"Xander?" Joyce's voice called through the door and the group instantly went into panic as they hid the various ingredients and props for the resurrection spell as Xander headed to the door. Once he was sure everything was well hidden, Xander pulled the door open wide, an everything-is-normal-and-fine smile on his face.

"Whoa," He let out, taking in Joyce's appearance with wide eyes and then inwardly cursing himself for saying that out loud. He really hoped she hadn't clocked on to what he had said, but from the embarrassed look she was wearing and the fact she had almost turned as red as her dress, he guessed that was truly a false hope.

"Erm...thank you Xander," Joyce said simply, before moving on swiftly, "I'm so glad I caught you in time"

"In time before what?" He asked quickly, in a slightly paranoid tone.

"Before patrol...?" She prompted and he nodded with a silent sigh of relief.

"Yeah, patrol. Yeah, we just about to- with the patrolling and-"

"I think you may have taken my purse by mistake," She told him, "I think you may had accidentally dropped it into your bag. The one you brought the other day?"

"Oh right, right, just a min, I'll go get it," He told her before rushing off to find the bag. Joyce waited just inside the doorway, wondering why on earth everybody here seemed so tensely quiet. As though they were up to something. Joyce was about to ask when Xander returned with her purse.

"Here it is," He grinned, handing it to her, "Wasn't my color anyway" It was black. So his comment really didn't make sense he realized.

"Well, uh, thanks," Joyce said, before turning to the rest of the group, "Well, I'll probably see you tomorrow...more than likely."

"Yes," Tara nodded, "H-have a nice night...at the Gallery"

"Thanks, I will"

"Bye," Willow hurriedly waved her off before closing the door, "Phew," She breathed, "So very close. Right, get the stuff again. We'll set out when we're sure she's gone."

As she and Xander went to retrieve the candles they'd hid while Anya and Tara got the urn, Xander turned to Willow with a cringe.

"I can't believe I just whoaed Buffy's Mom. If this spell works- Buffy is _so_ gonna kill me"

"It _will_ work," Willow told him confidently as she handed him two of the black candles, "And if it helps- on the whoa front, I was right there with ya"

"Actually," Xander said in contemplation as they walked back over to Willow and Tara, "That kinda makes it worse"


	2. Bargaining Part Two

Rabidreject- Thanks for the review, so glad to hear you've been looking forward to this. Teehee- gives me a happy. And thanks re the character voice thang.

g120-thank you for the review and also thanks re the character voice comment also. ;-). And yes, Band Candy finally having purposeful benefits. Hehe.

* * *

A/N: This chapter is a little shorter than usual, but well...Afterlife looks likes it gonna be pretty wordy. Hehe.

* * *

Chaos. That's what it was. Complete and unadulterated chaos. Giles had been half way through making the patrol rounds when the biker demons pulled in and now within less than half an hour the demons had managed to practically destroy Sunnydale. They were the type of demons that only preyed on towns they believed to be vulnerable. Which could only mean one thing- the demon population had discovered the Slayer was nothing more than a robot.

Giles had immediately tried to call Joyce or at least Dawn, but found his phone was completely lacking in signal (perhaps a side effect of all the chaos being reaped around him, he didn't know. That was more Ethan's terrain). So, now he was trying to head home. The sooner he got back home, the sooner he work out a way to find the others.

He turned a corner and walked directly into a group of people.

"Argh!" They all screamed together, but one recognizable voice was heard above the rest.

"Anya?" He then saw it was the rest of them. That is Tara, Willow and Xander. Giles worried why Willow had blood stains on her cheeks- had the demons caught up with them before now?

"Giles!" Anya exclaimed, "Don't _do_ that!"

Giles was prevented from a retort as a dark clad figure suddenly sprung down beside them. They all turned to face it, ready to attack the demon that had landed near them, but stopped when they saw the figure looked more like a wounded animal. The girl had long blond hair that hung about her face in tattered knots and her black dress was torn. Giles recognized that black dress, and on closer inspection recognized the hair. No, it couldn't be.

"Buffy?" Willow asked warily, walking forward slightly and this most minor of movements caused Buffy to bolt.

"Buffy?" Giles whispered in disbelief as the group ran after her. A moment later, he followed, not giving himself time to wonder why or how she was there...how it was even possible.

They eventually caught up with her and found her crouched against a wall in an alley,seemingly trying to hide and protect herself from them, using the trashcans and bin bags as shields.

As the four looked at Buffy, Giles took another look at the blood on Willow's face. It wasn't caused by demon attacks...it was self inflicted- aspects of a dark, dark ritual. A resurrection spell. God, how could they be so stupid?So irresponsible?Didn't they realize what could have happened?What may have happened anyway? He wanted to throttle Willow, but his shock at seeing Buffy prevented him from making any movement at all.

"Our spell," Xander stated, confirming what Giles had already guessed...already knew, "Our resurrection spell worked like a magic charm. We brought you back to life Buffy," Xander turned to Willow, his face deadly serious, "Right where we left her"

That thought alone made Giles sick to the stomach. Not only had this group of idiots risked everything by bringing Buffy back to life, but they had forced to dig her way out of her own grave. Giles looked at how Buffy was crouched like a terrified animal and saw the blood and dirt all over her hands. Reminders of how she'd been dragged so harshly into his world.

"How could be so stupid?" Giles asked them all quietly.

"S-she had to...dig out of her own grave" Tara breathed, in too much shock to hear the controlled anger in Giles' voice. But the others did, but while Xander looked disgusted and ashamed with himself and Anya just looked like a naughty child about to get in trouble, Willow looked at Giles with something of a challenge in her expression- as though daring him to say anything, as though she doubted there was any possible way she should be reprimanded for her actions. Because he had no doubt they were her actions. The others, they were helpers, even Tara would have followed her girlfriend's lead. Yes, this was evidently all Willow's doing.

"Buffy," Xander said, turning away from Giles, to look at the broken Slayer in the corner. "It's going to be alright. We brought you back. You're home now"

Giles was about to demand why the hell the did they bring her back and where exactly they thought they'd brought her from when the sound of a menacing voice behind them stopped him.

"Yeah, welcome home Slayer. Alive and kicking after all,"

Giles tore his eyes away from Buffy to see not just a singular demon, but an entire gang of them. All of them leather-clad and wielding wicked-looking weapons.

"Well, alive anyway." The demon continued, "Not looking too good is she?"

No, she really wasn't. And the rest of the gang were cornered with definitely no where else to run.

* * *

She hadn't been able to get back to her car. It had been barely halfway through the opening when the riots started in Sunnydale, reaching all the way to even just outside the gallery. 

Almost instantly, chaos had broke out inside the gallery also as almost everyone fell into complete and utter panic. When the first rioter had crashed through the window, staff and visitors alike scattered everywhere panicking and wondering what the hell was going on.

Joyce, Carole and the other members of staff who hadn't completely lost their head, directed everyone to the exits, presuming correctly that it would be safer if they left the public place and hurried home as quickly as possible.

But as they reached the exit, or one of them anyway, the door was kicked open from the other side and there stood three of the grizzly, dangerous rioters. And that's when Joyce had seen they weren't human- they were demons.

Not waiting a second to see how the demons were going to react to them (by ripping their throats out most probably) the group en masse ran to the nearest other exit and pushed through the doors desperately, their feet pounding loudly on the concrete ground as they rushed towards their cars.

When they reached the car park though, they saw the demon rioters had already set up shop there, running around their cars- smashing the windows, sometimes setting them on fire.

Sensing the humans were there, the demons abruptly stopped what they were doing and looked over. Eying them like vicious dogs, where you're afraid the slightest of movements would alert them to your presence and if you stayed perfectly still they would move on.

A woman gasped at the sight and took one step back in shock. That was all the signal they needed and the demons charged.

Within minutes four people were already dead, necks broken, limbs torn apart. As Joyce tried to avoid the mace one of the demons was swinging at her, she could do nothing else but watch as a particularly beefy demon with rows of razor sharp teeth took a bite out of the chest of her colleague, Jem. He spat the meat he had pulled off aside, but continued to rip him apart seemingly for the sheer heel of it, throwing his limbs to feed the steadily building bonfire.

It was enough to make Joyce want to fall where she stood. She just wanted to throw up, but survival instincts kicked in and she forced herself to focus on saving her own life and escaping the demons so she could get home to Dawn.

As the demon backed her up against the wall, she waited for him to swing the mace and once he did, she ducked just in time and the weapon got trapped in the wall behind her. As he struggled to tug it free, she ran.

She was still running through central Sunnydale when she realized she hadn't escaped the demons at all. They were all throughout the town- Sunnydale was in flames. Even more desperate to get to Dawn now, she sped up, rushing through the streets, thanking the gods that she hadn't ran into any biker demons.

That is, she thank the gods until she did.

The demon stepped out of an alley, although it seemed out of nowhere, as Joyce was running along and he blocked her path, instantly bringing her to a standstill. He grinned at her evilly and she instantly spun around to run the other way to find two more of his kind behind her. She turned again, and again before returning back to where she'd started. She was surrounded.

Only one thought came to mind when she realized this- oh crap.

* * *

"I don't see you winning any beauty contests," Xander told the demon as he held his axe over his shoulder, aiming for a casual look, "Unless the Miss My-Face-Fell-Off Pageant gets going" 

"Big axe you got there," The demon commented menacingly.

"The better to cut you down to size Grandma"

This just seemed to anger the demon more and he went toward Xander but was brought to a halt by a quick, yet effective fire spell form Tara.

"So you got a witch in the mix," The demon said, slightly more cautious, but still clearly feeling very superior to the group.

"More than one," Tara informed him, not letting her fear come through in her voice.

"Yes," Xander nodded, "I happen to be a very powerful man-witch myself," He turned back to Tara and Willow, "Or...male...is it Warlock?"

"Plus," Anya added, as she looked at Buffy still crouched in the corner, "We have a Slayer here who might be looking to eat some brains so I think a quiet moseying, no hard feelings and I'm sure your demon horde won't think any less of you"

This banter exchange seemed to carry for a few more minutes as had become the custom in Sunnydale before the small alley became what could only be described as a battleground (another Sunnydale custom).

The 'battle' failed to be particularly eventful or evenly matched as within moments Willow had been thrown into the trash, soon followed by Anya and eventually Giles. Tara was thrown into a wall and Xander, on his way over to his girlfriend/fiancée, was tossed aside into a garbage can of his own.

"Let me tell you something children," The leader of the demon gang said walking towards them all menacingly, "We're not gonna fight you," He looked at Giles and Xander, "Well, we're just going to kill you two, but the girls...well, me and boys are just gonna enjoy ourselves for a few hours. You might even live through it, 'cept that certain of my boys got some anatomical incompatibilities that tend to rip up little girls...so who wants to go first?"

At this perverse suggestion, both Giles and Xander scrambled up to go and head over to try and protect Tara, Willow and Anya, but as they got up they saw Buffy had gotten out of her crouch position and was now stood directly in front of the offending demon.

"I was really hoping it'd be you," The demon grinned, backhanding Buffy so hard it caused her head to turn and in that moment Giles saw her glazed and confused look fade away as it was replaced by that Slayer gleam he had seen so many times over the years. The look that clearly said the demon was soon going to lose all it's limbs.

The demon, unaware of this, went to punch her again but she grabbed his fist easily, stopping him mid-swing, before immediately countering with a double-punch of her own. She delivered a roundhouse kick to the chest and he went flying into the garbage can he 'd moments ago thrown Giles into and the demon lay there unconscious.

"Does that mean we win?" Anya asked hopefully.

Nobody moved for a moment as the demons silently looked at the crumpled form of their leader. Their stunned expressions were replaced by ones of anger as they attacked Buffy. She ducked, dodged and decked following with kicks, hits and flips. Although clearly out numbered she fought back the demons with ease using skills and reflexes as excellent as they had been the day she had died.

Before long every demon lay unconscious or dead around her.

"Well, they wanted a massacre..." Tara said looking around at all the dead demons.

"Well, I should say they got one," Giles agreed.

"She's Buffy, she's herself again," Xander said with relief but as Giles looked at Buffy, he wasn't so easily convinced, "You're back Buff, you really are" Xander smiled, going to hug his friend, but she stepped away, the frightened-animal look returning, "Whoa, easy, whoa..."

She looked at them all, seemingly frightened by merely seeing the faces. She paused as she looked at Giles, some form of recognition flickering in her eyes and she took a step toward him. Then, suddenly, she seemed to change her mind as she ran past him, down the alley.

"Where's she going?" Anya asked with a frown.

"Should we follow her?" Tara suggested.

"No," Giles said firmly, still watching Buffy's retreating form.

"But, shouldn't we just-" Willow began to protest but Giles cut her off.

"No. We shouldn't. Besides," He gave Willow a look that bordered on disgust and loathing, "I think you've done more than enough"

He once again looked off in the direction Buffy had ran off, but fought against all his instincts to follow her. She wasn't ready to face them yet, who knew when she would be?

He walked off on the group,leaving them behind silently contemplating what they had done.

As he walked out of the alley a thought occurred to him. Joyce. He had to get to her, before anyone else- dear god, before she found Buffy herself at least. He needed to- was the word really warn? No, he needed to _prepare_ her. Prepare her for the shock that was that Buffy was alive again. Lord, how was he going to tell her that?

* * *

"Looky, looky what we found," The largest of the demons who had surrounded Joyce commented with an evil grin on his face. 

"Th-that's great," Joyce said, attempting for levity as she looked around at the group of demons and tried to figure out how to get away. She couldn't, "And this was fun, now I'll just be off"

She attempted to casually, yet rapidly walk through the gap left between the leader and the tall demon next to him. She nearly made it as well when the leader put a gnarled demonic had on her shoulder, leaving scratches there as he pulled her back.

"Now why would you be running off like that?" The demon asked, "Me and the fellers wanna have some fun"

She sincerely doubted it was going to be fun for her, and their perverted grins confirmed that fear. She gave up on subtle and just tried to push past them all, figuring if she could just get out of the circle, she'd have a fighting chance at...running away. She barely got a step away when they dragged her back, causing her to fall down on her face. She knocked one away barely with her arm as she stumbled forward to try and get back up and start running, but the demon at the front of the gang grabbed her foot to pull her back towards him. She kicked out and while it didn't hurt him in the slightest, it did cause her shoe to come off and so he lost his grip on her, over-balancing him slightly.

She scrabbled up and began running again, but found the leader had already beaten her to it once more.

"We don't count the chase part of the fun," He told her, looking deadly serious.

* * *

Giles was five minutes away from home when he heard the scream. He turned around and saw a gang of the demons similar to the ones that had attacked him and the others before surrounding a woman in a red and white dress. He recognized the dress first. 

"Joyce!" He exclaimed, running over to help her and at the sound of his voice she looked around, before relief crossed her features as she spotted him. She automatically tugged to try and head towards him but the demons held her back with minimal effort as Giles knew from experience how strong they were.

As he reached the group he picked up a piece of metal piping that had been severed from the rest of the system and swung it at one of the demon's head, hard. He wasn't unconscious but he went down with a wet slap on the floor revealing that Giles had caused him at least some injury. The rest of the demon gang looked him with expressions that said 'that is the last thing you will ever do'. Giles tried not to show his fear.

"I strongly suggest you let her go," He told them, but the demons only laughed- Joyce tugging against their grip making them laugh harder.

"I don't think you're getting this," The one Giles determined to be the leader of this particular group, told him, "See, me and the boys wanna have some fun here. And," the demon sniggered, "ain't you or no pipe gonna make much of a change on our minds ya see"

Giles remembered what 'fun' the demons in the alley had referred to and that made him all the more determined to not back down. The demon seemed to find this fact even more amusing and he walked away from Joyce to take a menacing step towards Giles.

This one less demon holding onto Joyce was enough and she tugged away from the second, running over to Giles before the advancing demon could reach either of them.

They stood there for a moment, all of them, when the demon Giles had knocked down grunted as he got up. While the rest of the group were distracted by this Giles and Joyce ran off. Normally this would feel like the coward's way out, but right now it was just damn common sense.

The two of them worried that the demons would give chase, but when they spared a glance backwards they saw the gang had lost interest. After all, they had said the chase wasn't part of the fun.

"Ow, ow, ow," Joyce complained stumbling for a moment.

"What?" Giles asked, stopping in concern.

"Glass, she explained," brushing the sharp pieces off her bare foot, "I lost one of my shoes back there," She explained further when he frowned in confusion. She looked down at her dress that was definitely falling into the category 'can never be worn again', "I've gotta stop wearing anything nice," She said in exasperation, giving him a half-smile. He gave her a similar half-smile back, just relieved they were out of danger, as he used his to wipe the little bit of dirt that had smudged on her cheek. When she saw what he was doing she groaned in further exasperation, "Great, I must look a complete wreck"

"As escaping demon hordes go, you look rather-" Giles began to compliment her but she cut him off with a panicked look.

"We've gotta get back to the house. Dawn- what if they've.." She set off at another run in the direction of her house, Giles following close behind wondering how the hell he was supposed to tell her about Buffy now.

* * *

"Dawn? Spike? Dawn? Dawn?" Joyce started calling as soon as she entered the darkened house. Luckily it didn't seem to have been raided, but worryingly there was still no sign of Dawn or Spike. "Dawn! Dawn!" Joyce called more urgently rushing through the rooms on the ground floor of the house. "They're not here," She announced walking back over to Giles, "They're not here. Where could they be? Why aren't they here?" 

"It's okay," Giles assured her, putting his hands on her shoulders to calm her down, "It doesn't look like anything happened here. There's no sign of a struggle is there?" Joyce silently shook her head, "So...more than likely Spike took Dawn somewhere safe"

Joyce knew there was truth to what he said and she nodded, trying to convince herself to believe him. To focus on something else besides worry she put her full attention into taking off her remaining shoe and tossing it aside in the corner. When she was no longer stood on heels, she lost four inches of height and she was back to looking up at Giles to talk to him rather than eye to eye. Slightly annoying.

"Now, Joyce- there's something I have to tell you."

"What if Spike got caught by those demons and now Dawn's all alone? We should go look for her" Joyce suggested, her worry returning.

"No," Giles insisted, "We should stay here so when she returns home there's someone here for her. Now-"

"Right," Joyce nodded, "Right, sorry- what were you saying?"

"I need to tell you something...about Buffy"

"What about the Buffybot?" She asked with a frown, wondering why he was being so serious about a robot.

"No, not Buffybot..._Buffy_"

Now she was very attentive, her brown eyes wide with worry.

"What is it? Her grave? Did the demons-"

"No, no, nothing like that," Giles told her, before taking a deep breath as he prepared himself for what he had to say.

"What is it?" Joyce asked, looking at him searchingly, "Rupert, you're scaring me..."

"It's Buffy. She's-"

Giles was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and Joyce headed past him in relief as she saw Dawn walk in. She was followed by someone with long dirty blond hair. The woman was wearing a black dress that Joyce recognized all too well.

"She's alive," Giles finished and all Joyce could do was stare at her only natural-born daughter in disbelief. Buffy glanced over at Giles and Joyce and when her eyes fell on her Mom the two of them shared a look of recognition as Buffy recognized her Mother and Joyce truly saw that it was Buffy, the same daughter she had buried over four months ago, stood in front of her. Alive. And all she could do was stare.


	3. Afterlife

Zigpal- Hey thanks for review and those...damn..what are they called...claps! Hehe. Glad you're liking it so far

Jason Barnett Thanks for review and no, Giles and Joyce will not be leaving Buffy with Dawn so she'll grow up...because, well, it's Joyce's home- she's not exactly gonna be going anywhere is she? Hehe.

Rabidreject- Thanks for review and for what you said. Ego boost yet again, hehe. And well, I do have some plans for Seeing Red. Also, yes, I am writing new songs for Once More With Feeling. I've been working on them a while. They are a pain. Curse Joss for forcing me to write songs haha. I keep worrying I'm subconsciously plagerizing. Haha

* * *

"Buffy?" Joyce asked, not daring herself to believe it, but as she looked at her, she had to put her hand on the wall to hold herself upright, her knees almost giving way beneath her.

"It's r-really her Mom," Dawn told her, "I'm, I'm not sure how but she's back. Back home. See Buffy? Home"

"Oh my.." Joyce breathed, putting a hand to her chest in shock as she watched Buffy peer around the hall, taking in every detail, "Oh Buffy," Joyce stepped forward, and while Buffy seemed very wary she didn't step away when her Mother held her tightly. Joyce cried silent tears as she hugged her daughter, the daughter she'd thought she'd lost forever, but over her shoulder Giles saw Buffy's complete lack of emotion at this motherly contact.

Once Joyce eventually pulled away from Buffy, she took in her ragged appearance.

"Oh look at the state of...let's get you cleaned up huh?" Joyce smiled slightly as she took Buffy's hand gently and led her towards the stairs, "Come on"

Giles and Dawn followed after them and as they walked up the stairs Dawn gave Giles a hopeful smile which he tried to return, but his worry over Buffy's state prevented his smile from being truly genuine.

As they reached the bathroom, Joyce pushed open the door quietly so as not to startle her and led Buffy in.

"Okay, honey, it's okay," She assured her though she had no idea how it was going to be fine at all. No it _was_ going to be fine, she was determined that it was. Buffy was back, she was no longer dead, she was here, _alive_ and nothing could be more wonderful than that. Everything _would_ be okay. "We'll just get you washed up, clean your hands and-" Joyce looked at the mud and dirt on Buffy's face and then saw the scratches on her cheek, "oh honey- what happened to your face?"

Buffy didn't answer, her face still sad and lost, but she put her hand to her cheek as though only just feeling any injuries there at all. Which was when Joyce saw her bloodied hands.

"Buffy," She gasped, "Your hands," Joyce took Buffy's hands in her own as she looked at the severe scrapes. "Dawn, Dawn honey could you go downstairs and get the First Aid kit out of the kitchen please?"

"Sure," Dawn nodded, not taking her eyes off Buffy until she had completely left the room.

"Oh my god, how did this...how did this happen Rupert?" Joyce asked and they both knew she wasn't really just referring to the scratches.

At Giles' name Buffy looked up slightly in his direction, recognition flitting across her face.

"Giles...?" She asked quietly, before seeming to retreat back in on her self once more, backing up into the far corner of the bathroom. Joyce looked at Buffy in concern a moment before returning her attention to Giles.

"Do you know..." She went to ask him to explain how Buffy came to be there, but then realized she wasn't ready for that answer yet. She was already close to collapsing at the sight of her alone, "Do you know how her hands got-"

"Her grave," Giles said before she could even finish the question. His expression was hard as though he was trying to not let his own emotions at seeing Buffy overcome him. Stiff-Upper-Lippy as Willow would describe it. "She had to dig her way out of her own grave"

Joyce's mouth dropped open in shock at Giles' words.

"She crawled out of her own..." Being buried alive had been Buffy's worst fear since she had been a little child and now she had actually experienced it...oh God. She headed over to Buffy, "Oh Buffy, my poor darling girl,"

"M-Mom?" Buffy looked at Joyce as though only just seeing it was her for the first time.

"Yes, sweetheart," Joyce nodded, tears coming to her eyes once more, "Oh, I can't imagine what you've been through baby, but it's okay, it's going to be okay now," She pulled Buffy into a hug which this time, Buffy returned at least slightly, "You're home, you're safe. And everything's going to be okay. I promise"

Buffy was the one to pull out of the hug first, looking slightly uncomfortable at the close contact.

"I need...clean. I need to be...I need to get clean...cleaned up," Buffy told her, rubbing at the dirt on her hands.

"I know honey, we are, we will," She brushed Buffy's matted hair out of her face lovingly, "Rupert, could you fill the sink with warm water please?" She asked before returning her attention to Buffy, "We'll just get your face and hands cleaned up first, okay? Okay sweetie?"

Buffy nodded silently, before her Mom helped her stand up.

"Mom, I got the bandages and stuff," Dawn said quietly as she walked back into the bathroom.

"Thanks sweetheart, could you just put them over, uh over there for a moment?" Joyce asked before returning her attention once more to Buffy.

She could barely believe she was able to function enough to get Buffy reasonably clean. Her hands were shaking as she wiped away the dirt with soap and warm water. Buffy was here. Stood. Alive. Breathing. Here. How she kept asking herself, but then she would ask why she was even asking. What did it matter? Why did she even care? She was here wasn't she?

"C-can I help?" Dawn asked warily and Joyce smiled warmly at her, "I could brush her hair..it's...it's kinda knotted"

"Of course honey," Joyce nodded before looking at Buffy, "Is that okay Buffy?"

Buffy nodded slightly, sparing a second-long glance in Dawn's direction.

So between the two of them, Giles just stood in the door evidently going over everything again and again in his head, they got Buffy cleaned up.

"There, isn't that better?" Joyce asked her as they both looked in the cabinet mirror. She pushed Buffy's now-smooth, if not clean, hair behind her ears so her face was fully visible. "All that dirt gone"

"Yeah," Dawn nodded encouragingly, "It's like Mom always says 'either wash that neck or plant potatoes'"

Buffy didn't so much as blink but carried on looking at her expressionless reflection.

"My Mother used to say it to me," Joyce exclaimed trying to smooth over the awkward atmosphere Buffy's non-reaction had created, "I never really understood it either..."

Again, no reaction from Buffy.

"I think we need to get you out of this now don't we?" Joyce asked, looking down at Buffy's tattered burial dress, "I'll just get you some clean clothes"

Joyce went to leave the room, but found she couldn't move very far as something was tugging her back. She looked down to see that although Buffy's expression hadn't changed and she wasn't even looking at her, her hand had gripped Joyce's wrist tightly.

"No" Buffy mumbled.

"I'll only be gone a minute sweetheart, I promise," Joyce assured her, "And Dawn's here. And Giles," Joyce told her using the name Buffy used for Giles in the hopes it would spark some recognition. It did, but not much.

"Mom..." Buffy said in a quietly pleading tone,still not letting go of Joyce's wrist.

"It's okay," Joyce told her in a reassuring voice, "I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here, okay?" Buffy nodded slightly and stiffly, letting go of Joyce's wrist. "Dawn, would you-"

"Sure," Her youngest said immediately, before leaving the room.

When Dawn returned with clothing, the white shirt draped over her arm, Giles, with one silent glance in Buffy and Joyce's direction, left the room to give Buffy some privacy, but a moment later Dawn joined him in the hallway.

"Buffy felt crowded with both of us there," She explained, even though Giles didn't ask. He could tell however, even from that one sentence, that Dawn was upset by this, "Guess coming back from the dead can make you traumatized..." Dawn reasoned, before looking at Giles, "How did this happen anyway? I mean, I'm trying to be all this-happens-everyday, but it doesn't. Not even to us. Why is she back?"

"It's the result Dawn, I believe, of a very powerful and dangerous spell," Giles told her, not actually specifying who had cast it.

"A spell?" Dawn repeated, "So this was done on purpose?"

"Yes," Giles nodded slowly.

"Does that mean she's here for good?" Dawn asked, hope in her expression and in her voice, "She's not going to go away again?"

"No, I don't believe so,"

The bathroom door opened and Buffy, now wearing trousers and a white shirt, was led out into the hall by Joyce. Giles noticed that the scratch on Buffy's cheek had been tended to, but the hands hadn't been touched at all. He could only assume that Buffy hadn't wanted them to be tended to yet, wasn't ready for them to be.

Buffy suddenly walked off from the three of them silently, walking along the corridor till she came to her Mom's room. She peered around, taking in every detail and soon Joyce and Dawn were beside her. Giles held back, waiting silently in the hallway.

"This is still...you and Giles?" Buffy asked her Mother with a confused frown as though Joyce confirming this would confirm the reality of everything around her.

"Yes," Joyce nodded, "Very little has changed since you...well, since you've been away"

Joyce had barely finished her sentence before Buffy had walked off again, peering in Dawn's room a moment before she carried on to her own room. She walked in, patrolling the perimeter, running her hands slightly along the walls.

"Everything's the same..." Buffy commented, sounding very distant as she ran her hands emotionlessly over her stuffed pig Mr Gordo. Joyce had ran her hands over that same stuffed animal over the past few months as she had remembered how Buffy had held it for comfort over the years. The one breach into childhood that her daughter had allowed. And now that same daughter was running her hands over it again, over her duvet cover, over her dresser, her mirror.

There was the sound of a door slamming downstairs and Buffy spun around,almost in a fighting pose as she glanced around the room, eyes darting to every corner nervously.

"What was that?"

"It's okay," Dawn told her.

"Dawn! You here?"

"See, it's just Spike," Joyce assured her and Buffy seemed to relax a little.

"I'm here!" Dawn called before leaving the room to head downstairs, which left Joyce alone in the room with Buffy as Giles was still stood out in the hall.

This made Joyce inexplicably uncomfortable. She didn't understand why. Why should standing in the room with her daughter make her feel uncomfortable? Shouldn't she be throwing her arms around her? But Buffy clearly wasn't ready for that...and Joyce realized it was _that_ that was making her uncomfortable.

"I'd best go...see to it...as well," Joyce told her lamely before leaving the room. As she walked off, Buffy watched her go, and Giles came into her line of vision. The two just stood staring silently at one another, before Buffy left also, following on after her Mother. Giles followed on after her.

"You scared me half to death," Spike was saying, "Or...more to death. You- I could kill you"

"Spike," Dawn said in a quiet voice, trying to cut him off but he continued, undeterred.

"No, I mean it. I could rip your head off one handed and drink from your brain stem-" Spike stopped talking as he spotted Joyce walking down the stairs towards them, "Oh, Joyce. I don't mean it. It's just- she ran off and...well, you know"

Joyce nodded silently, and Spike frowned as he didn't get the lecture he usually received when she ever found him speaking like that in front of her daughter. In fact, on second thought, he realized Dawn was acting oddly too. What was wrong with the both of them.

Someone else started walking down the stairs- probably Giles- and so he intended to ask the Watcher that very question.

Then he saw it wasn't Giles. It was the Buffybot. But he saw her ripped to shreds only an hour ago so...

"Oh god," Spike looked on in shock.

"She's kinda...she's been through a lot," Dawn explained, "With the death...but I think she's okay"

Spike didn't say anything, he just kept on looking at Buffy.

"Spike?" Joyce asked in concern, "Are you okay?"

"All things considered..." He barely got out, his eyes still on Buffy. He tore them away to look at Dawn accusingly.

"What did you do?"

"Me? Nothing!" Dawn defended herself, "Giles said it was a spell or something..."

Spike looked up the stairs and saw Giles was stood at the back of them all now.

"You did this?" Spike asked in disbelief.

"No, it wasn't me, it was-"

"Her hands," Spike said, not even listening to Giles anymore as his attention returned to Buffy.

"She wasn't quite ready...she wasn't comfortable with me fixing those up just yet," Joyce explained, "I think they're still tender. But I think, Rupert said, that...well, she-"

"Clawed her way out of a coffin," Spike finished, looking on at Buffy in sympathy, "Isn't that right?"

"Yeah," Buffy nodded, looking down at her hands as though they belonged to someone else. Seconds later she put them behind her back, hiding them. "That's...th-that's what I had to do"

"Done it myself," Spike told her sincerely, "Do you think we should fix them up now?"

Buffy nodded, letting Spike lead her to the couch in the sitting room.

"Joyce, could we get some bandages, Mercurochrome?" He asked and Joyce nodded, and although the First Aid box was upstairs she knew there was still some things let in the kitchen, so she headed to there rather than walking back up the stairs, not trusting her legs to hold out for that long.

She got to the cupboard where she knew the supplies were kept, and saw her hand was shaking terribly as she reached for the cupboard door. She tried to hold it still with the other hand, but they were both shaking as badly as one another. She decided to ignore it, work past it as she opened the cupboard door and reached up for the gauze. As her hands shook though she knocked over the box of paracetamol and all the tablets clattered to the kitchen floor. She knelt down to pick them up, but a few seconds later Giles was there helping her.

"I'm such a klutz sometimes," She smiled slightly, trying to make like it was a normal situation when they both knew it wasn't.

When the couple eventually returned to the living with room with the bandages and Mercurochrome,Joyce saw that Spike and Buffy seemed to be sharing a very sentimental moment, despite Dawn's presence in the opposite chair and Joyce felt loathe to interrupt. She was saved this though by a big crowd of four people that seemed a lot louder than four people should be bursting in through the front door and rushing into the living room. Willow, Tara, Anya and Xander all talking at once.

"Is she here?" Willow asked excitedly and Buffy jumped, startled while Spike backed away from the crowd to the corner of the room.

"What do you remember?" Xander asked.

"Are you in pain?" Willow checked.

"What do you know about what happened?"

Joyce saw Buffy becoming increasingly overwhelmed and terrified by this onslaught of questions. She was about to say something, but Dawn, surprisingly said it first.

"Hey! Just back off. Let her breathe"

Everyone looked very startled by Dawn's outburst.

"Yes," Joyce agreed, "Let's. She's been through a lot...obviously and-" Joyce paused as something clicked, "Dawn said Rupert told her this was because of a spell-" She looked at the group, "_You_ all did this?"

They nodded.

"We, we did a spell," Willow gave the least amount of explaining that could still be called an explanation.

"Why-How-Wh-" Joyce had so many questions. Instead she chose to ask none and just slowly sat down on the coffee table in front of Buffy, feeling incredibly overwhelmed.

"Is she going to be okay?" Dawn asked Willow, but it was Buffy that answered and everyone was suddenly rapt with attention, especially Joyce and Dawn as this was the first time they'd heard her even form a full sentence.

"I'm going to be fine. I remember- I was- you brought me back"

"How long were you gone?" Xander asked, "I mean, how long for you?"

"It...it seemed like forever," Buffy replied.

"Oh, Buffy, I'm so sorry," Tara said, sounding incredibly sympathetic for Buffy, true regret in her voice.

"What are you saying?" Dawn asked, since Giles didn't seem to be speaking at all and her Mom, for the time being, had lost her ability to speak, "Are you saying she was somewhere? Like in Hell?"

At this question, Joyce looked up, waiting for the answer.

"Hell Dimension," Anya explained, "Same torture, less religion," She turned to Buffy, "What was it like?"

Hell? Joyce thought. Her daughter had been in Hell? All this time she'd been...oh God. She knew she should stay there, support her newly risen daughter, but she couldn't. It was just too much. She stood up and rushed out the front door, closing it quietly behind her.

She had barely been on the sofa swing twenty seconds, when Giles came out also. As she turned to look at him, she was sure she caught sight of Spike near the trees, but then the flitting image was gone and she forgot.

"It was a resurrection spell," Giles explained in greeting, "Willow and the others cast it. It's a powerful spell, very dangerous for the caster...but no known side-effects"

"You make it sound like Buffy's having medication for hallucinations," Joyce said bitterly.

"What I mean is," Giles explained, taking a seat next to her, "Buffy is Buffy, she is herself. She's the very same girl, same Slayer that we buried in May."

"Why did they leave her to dig her way out of her own grave?" Joyce asked in disgust.

"I don't...I don't know," Giles thought that they probably had had hardly any clue of what they were doing at all.

"She's back, she's really back," Joyce said more to herself than anything, "I'm in shock. So's Dawn. The others are seemingly ecstatic. You though," She looked at him intently, "You've shown nothing. No happiness, no shock, no sympathy. You've just stood there. Watching, silently," She gave him a glance that looked as though she were challenging him, "But isn't that what Watchers do best? Watch? Watch their Slayers die- watch them come back to life. I suppose it's all the same really"

"That's unreasonable," Giles told in a calm voice that hit her more than if he had shouted, but she didn't back down though.

"Then why aren't you showing any emotion? Buffy's back. Express something"

"You haven't exactly been expressing pure happiness over her return either," Giles retorted and before she could reply he continued, "Perhaps we both know that this can't be as simple as it looks. We both know nothing is good as it seems- too good to be true. And that is why we can't be truly happy by her return. Because we both know there will be serious consequences"

"No, we don't," Joyce protested, standing up, "We don't know that. I'm just in shock at seeing her, but I _am_ happy. And don't you even try to say otherwise" She warned him, before walking back into the house, closing the front door behind her.

* * *

It was about three a.m when Joyce woke up, but she wasn't sure. She didn't bother looking at the clock before she got out of bed. She walked out of the door very quietly, only opening the door merely enough for her slip through so it didn't creak wide open and wake Giles. She then walked just as quietly along the landing until she came to Buffy's room. She pushed the door open slightly so she could look in. 

There Buffy lay, fast asleep in bed, breathing steadily. Breathing. Joyce just wanted to look at her, still unable to believe she was here, back home with them. Alive. Just watching her sleep made her want to cry. She really thought she'd lost her forever, she'd _accepted_ that she'd lost her forever and then...she had come back and proven she hadn't.

The phone started ringing and Joyce jumped, startled. She rushed to the pick up the phone on the corner table next to the stairs, before the loud ringing woke anyone else up.

"Hello?"

It was Willow on the phone and she sounded very panicked.

"What is it? What's the matter? Just calm...breathe. Wait- what happened?"

Willow repeated her story of how Buffy had turned up in the dorm she and Tara shared at the University and how Buffy had thrown things at them, shouting nonsense.

"Well, it can't be her Willow. I just checked in on her now- she's fast asleep in bed"

"I think there's something here..." Willow told her after a moment of silence contemplating this fact, "A demon something...I don't know. Just be careful? Watch out huh?"

"O-okay, don't worry Willow,I will, but you two should be careful also"

"Believe me- I think we'll be getting minimum sleep tonight," Willow told her, "I'm gonna call Xander, see how it's going there as well. If he's seen anything research worthy."

After they both hung up, Joyce went back to her bedroom, and despite having sneaked out quietly so as not to wake him, she now nudged Giles gently to stir him awake.

"Mmm? What?" He murmured, not quite awake.

"Rupert," She said quiet enough so it didn't disturb Dawn in the next room, but loud enough to wake him up completely.

"What? What is it?"

"Willow just called," She told him, "They said something that... that looked like Buffy attacked them. While they were sleeping. They think there's some sort of demon on the loose..." She trailed off, clearly unsure of the facts he was telling him.

"Do they know what it is though?" Giles asked, sitting up.

"No," Joyce shook her head, "She only saw it looking like Buffy...they just said for us...well, to be careful"

Giles didn't say anything, but the expression on his face showed he was in deep thought.

"What?" Joyce prompted.

"I told you," He said somberly, giving her a knowing look, "I said there would be consequences"

"Consequ...wait, you think this is because of Buffy being brought back?"

Giles didn't say anything, but merely did that shrug that was as good as him saying 'yes'.

"No," Joyce shook her head, "Don't start with that again." She told him, getting back out of bed.

"Joyce, all magick, all powerful magick anyway, has consequences. No matter what. A spell such as this would, naturally, create a bigger consequence"

"No, I'm not listening to this," She told him, walking towards the door, "Why do you have to be so negative about this? Why do you constantly have to be the Watcher over everything? Can't you just be glad that she's..." She shook her head, "I am not listening to you talk about 'consequences' of having my daughter back anymore. I'm not"

"Joyce-" Giles began to say, but she'd already left the room and he deemed it better for both of them, and perhaps his own safety, if he didn't follow.

* * *

"Hello?" Xander called as he and his three ladies walked through the front door of Buffy's house. There was no one in the living room or dining room so they carried on through to the kitchen, where they found Joyce sat at the island reading the morning newspaper and still wearing her nightgown. "Hey," Xander nodded in greeting and Joyce jumped when she realized there were suddenly four people in the kitchen who didn't live there. 

"Oh, Xander, hi everyone. You're here early"

"Well, we thought we'd check in and see if you guys had any creep outs...and then, get an early start on the research party," Willow told her with a smile that seemed a little forced.

"You look a wreck," Anya informed Joyce bluntly.

"Anya..." Xander said warningly and his girlfriend rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Anya said to Joyce sounding less like she meant it and more as if she were just being made to follow the standard rules of politeness, "What I meant to say is you look very tired and worn out and," Anya sighed, "Are you okay?"

"It's nothing," Joyce told her and the others, "I just didn't sleep well," Not once she'd walked out of the bedroom, but she didn't tell them that.

"Because of the copycat ghost floating about?" Willow asked in concern.

"Something like that..." Joyce reasoned, "So were you all okay after that phone call?"

"We were," Tara told her, "But Anya got possessed by what we think is the same thing that made...that made, the, uh, manifestation of Buffy"

"It was very bad. Very very very very very very bad. Bad." Xander elaborated and Anya patted his arm soothingly while telling the others:

"He's still very traumatized,"

"Where's Giles?"Willow asked, "We were hoping he could have like book insight before we're like forced to hit the books ourselves" She laughed a little but it seemed more out of nerves than anything.

"I don't know," Joyce told her honestly, "I think he's up now, he might be just getting dressed but..." She trailed off. Loathe as she was to admit it even to herself, after her little storm-off, she had still been tired (as was normal for three in the morning) so she had forced herself to just have a little nap (that had lasted unfortunately no more than ninety minutes...so she had had an entirely separate short nap again later on) on the sofa, but since she woke up she hadn't returned to her room or gone to up the stairs once so she hadn't seen Giles since their little mini-argument in the early hours of the morning.

"But he was awake when you got up?" Willow asked, trying to estimate when Giles would be down.

"I,erm, probably...," Joyce struggled for a way to answer without revealing to the group that the couple had slept separately last night.

"I hate sofa prints on my neck," Anya said randomly and they all looked at her questioningly, "Or...pillow ones," She reasoned but they still looked at her oddly, "You know...because they look so annoying and..." They still looked at her, "Oh, sorry, I was just saying coz I just saw some on Joyce's neck"

Joyce instantly put her hand to her neck and fell the slight grooves of the sofa there, though it wasn't very large at all- how had Anya even noticed? Had she been inspecting her? Well, it was an Anya thing to do. She had a habit of scrutinizing everybody.

The other three in the group had fell sort of quiet at Anya's comment as they reasoned silently in their minds over the fact Joyce hadn't slept well and she had slight sofa marks on her neck. Joyce stood up, eager to get out of the room.

"I'll just go see how long he'll be," She told them, leaving the room and heading up the stairs.

Along the way she almost walked into Buffy who was walking down. She was already fully dressed in jeans and a top and her hair was tied up.

"Oh Buffy, I didn't- are you okay? Did you sleep well?"

"Fine," Buffy shrugged. Silence. Joyce noticed her hands, where the cuts had been on her knuckles, were bandaged.

"You fixed your hands," She commented and Buffy looked at them as only just noticing herself.

"Y-yeah...used little band aids," She smiled a little.

"I could have done...well, helped you with that," Joyce told her and Buffy shrugged.

"It's okay" Silence.

"Your friends are in the kitchen," Joyce told her, pointing in that direction as though Buffy may have forgotten the lay-out of the house, "If you want to go..."

Buffy was already walking off down the stairs and heading in that direction.

"...see them.." Joyce finished to no one in particular, before walking on to find Giles.

* * *

"So what's the list?" Dawn asked, peering over Tara's shoulder in the Magic Box later on. After Willow and the others had informed Giles of the big spooky that was hanging around, he had come up with some theories to explain the demon, but couldn't confirm anything without, and there was that famous phrase, 'consulting his books'. 

So now they were all gathered in the Magic Box pouring over the numerous texts that held information that could _potentially_ help them.

"Hitchhikers," Anya told her, "Poltergeists, Copycat demons, Possessors...the works"

Dawn just frowned.

"Demons that might have come out of hell the same time Buffy did," Xander explained.

"If it indeed it did come along with her," Giles reasoned, inadvertently trying to make it up to Joyce for what he had said to Joyce in the early hours of the morning, "It is possible that the two events are entirely coincidental"

Everyone but Buffy looked over at him, their expression entirely unconvinced.

"Oh alright, fair enough," He nodded. Coincidences in Sunnydale were as rare as leprechauns.

"Skaggmore demons," Dawn read off the list, "Trellbane demons...Skitterers...Large and small bone eaters..." Dawn paused in thought, "I say if we get to choose we go with the small bone eaters," She reasoned.

"Well, that just means they prefer to eat things with small bones," Anya informed her, "Like you"

"Unh?" Dawn gulped at Anya, her eyes wide.

"She doesn't mean it," Joyce told her, but then off a look from Anya she shrugged, "Well, she does, but don't worry about it."

"Yeah," Willow nodded in agreement, "No bone eaters, small or otherwise shall be getting near Dawnie, kay?" Dawn nodded in acceptance and Willow continued, "Besides that's just what we have so far."

"Yes," Giles agreed, though there was something in his voice that revealed he wasn't as enthusiastic about this research task as he could have been, "There's five species types of demons that have been know to move transdimensionally. That's just a few of each. Two of them have the potential to be invisible in this particular dimension, and another two have the ability to alter one's perception of them. All of those are reasonable possibilities for this particular manifestation."

"That's only four," Anya pointed out, "What's the other one like?"

"Pretty much the same as the others," Tara told her, "Only dripping viscous fluid"

"Eww," Dawn grimaced before looking at her Mother, "This is why you let me research tonight isn't it?" She asked, "So you can gross me away from it?"

"That's the idea," Joyce said, smiling as she flicked through the pages of the book she was searching through.

"Well, nice try," Dawn smiled back determinedly, taking a seat at the table and pulling a book toward her.

"So should we concentrate on how to kill those?" Xander asked, "Or should we try and find more?"

"I'm not sure.." Willow told him, "Perhaps some of us should do-"

"Giles," Buffy said simply and they all looked over at her, "Giles...erm...what do you think? Think they should do?"

Giles looked mildly surprised by Buffy's sudden request for him to take charge, when she'd never asked him to before. Ever. This made him even more concerned for her.

"Well, uh, perhaps we should split our focus amongst the group," He reasoned, "Xander, Anya, Tara- you research in to how to slay the demons we've already found, while Willow, Joyce, Buffy and I could search for more-"

"I think I should patrol," Buffy cut in, preventing Giles from continuing or Dawn protesting about how she wasn't involved in the research plan.

"A-are you sure?" Giles asked concerned, "I mean if-"

"No, I should," Buffy insisted, already standing up.

"Buffy, you will be careful won't you?" Joyce called after her as Buffy reached the shop door. She turned around as she got her hand on the door handle.

"Sure, I'll... Mom" She told her, not even forming a complete sentence

And she left without another word leaving the group remaining behind in the store feeling very uncomfortable.

* * *

"Joyce," Giles found her busying herself amongst the stacks of books near the back of the store, searching through the texts but apparently not looking for any particular one. 

"What?" She asked, not stopping her search. He went to continue with what he was going to say anyway despite her obvious lack of keenness to talk, when she suddenly ceased her search to look at him, "What? You want me to listen to more of your doom speeches about Buffy's return? About how something isn't right? I _know_ she's isn't herself, Rupert. She's been in hell the past four months for Christ's sake. She's going to struggle to return to normalcy. But that's what we're all here for. To help her. And neither she, myself or anyone else for that matter need your doom-and-gloom outlook." She snatched a random book off the shelf and headed back to the table.

Giles sighed in reluctant resignation before heading back to the table also.

"I'm back," Anya called out, walking through the front door with drinks in her hands, "I found a 24-hour place for coffee. Remember that bookstore? Well they became one of those books-and-coffee places and now they're just coffee. It's like evolution only without the getting better part"

"Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee," She said, setting the drinks down on the table, "Some weird non-coffee thing for awkward," She grumbled, throwing Giles a look, "And ta-da! Hot chocolate for Dawn" She smiled at Joyce proudly like a child who'd just won a race on Sports Day, "I know Dawn's too young for coffee"

"_Idiot_," Dawn growled and Anya jumped in shock.

"You can have my coffee" She assured her, but Joyce just looked in Dawn's direction with disapproval.

"Dawn, don't speak like that to-" She stopped as she saw Dawn's eyes which were completely white as she looked on at them all venomously, "Oh my god, Dawn," She stood up in worry, half of her instincts telling her to run over to Dawn, the other half telling her this was a demon and she should stay well away.

"All of you did it," Dawn told them, her voice low and guttural. Demonic. "Stupid children. Did you think the blood wouldn't reach you? I smell the death on you. LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"

Suddenly and without any warning at all Dawn roared fire at the entire group, setting fire to the pile of books on the table, before she collapsed on the floor.

"Dawn!" Joyce exclaimed, running to Dawn, Giles not far behind.

"That was it," Willow pointed out, "Like with Buffy. Only with fire"

"Dawn, Dawn," Joyce was saying quietly, but urgently as her daughter wasn't opening her eyes.

"Is she okay?" Xander asked after he had put out the fire with a cushion Anya had been using.

"Did I look like that?" Anya asked him, "I hope I didn't look like that"

"No," Willow assured her sarcastically, "I'm sure you looked really glamorous cutting up your face"

Dawn's eyes finally fluttered open. They were normal again.

"Oh thank god," Joyce breathed a sigh of relief, holding Dawn close.

"What happened?" Dawn asked, "What's going on?"

"You'll be okay baby," Joyce said more to reassure herself than anything.

"You'll probably experience some dry mouth," Anya added and off everyone's looks explained, "From the fire"

"Was it...did the demon thing have me?" Dawn asked.

"Yes, but it's gone now sweetie. You're okay," Joyce told her soothingly, but again she wasn't sure whether it was to comfort herself or Dawn, "You'll be okay"

"Yeah it's gone," Xander told her.

"Yes, but where?" Giles questioned, standing up and looking around as though expecting the demon to peer out from it's hiding place, waving obviously.

"What do you mean?" Joyce asked, "I didn't see it go anywhere"

"No," Anya reasoned, "But that doesn't mean it didn't. I mean evil things have plans, they have things to do"

"Thank you Anya," Joyce said with a touch of sarcasm, "That won't have me worrying all night" She stood up before helping Dawn up also, "Right that's it. I'm taking you home."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Giles asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," Joyce told him more abruptly than she intended and she felt the reaction of the rest of the group and knew they had heard her snap at him slightly as well, including Dawn who looked between the two worriedly, "I just," Joyce said in a calmer voice, "She'll be safer at home"

"But it's been attacking everywhere," Giles reasoned, "No matter the environment"

"Well, it's relatively safer," Joyce countered, "At least she won't be...I'm not having her around all these books that just...seem to create an opening for these things"

"Mom..." Dawn whined but Joyce cut her off with the Mom Look.

"No, we're going home"

"Do you want me to drive you?" Giles offered.

"I can drive myself thank you," Joyce replied politely yet a little formally before she added, "You're needed more here. I'll see you at home"

* * *

Dawn was in bed, while Joyce was still sat up on the sofa when Buffy returned home. 

"Buffy?" Joyce asked, sitting up straight in her seat.

"Yeah...yeah it's me," Buffy told her quietly.

"You didn't go back to the store?"

"No," Buffy shook her head, "A bit too crowded...right now"

Joyce nodded in understanding quietly. She then shifted aside on the sofa to make room for Buffy.

"Would you like to sit here?" She asked, "I just had some terrible 70s show re-run on" She smiled in embarassment, hoping Buffy would return it.

Buffy just looked about to relent, to nod and sit beside her Mom, just watching TV when a white mist suddenly formed behind her, which then formed a fist that knocked her back.

"Buffy" Joyce exclaimed, jumping up to head over to her.

_You don't belong here _the watery voice of a woman whispered from the mist and Joyce looked at it in even more confusion. What the hell was it? It couldn't be the demon the others were still researching at the Magic Box could it? That was invisible.

"Nyuh!" Buffy exclaimed as she tried to hit the white woman back, but all she connected with was mist.

Suddenly another solid fist formed and connectedly solidly with Joyce's jaw, knocking her unconscious to the ground. Buffy barely had time to look down with an expression that could be described as childlike confusion and horror, before the white mist knocked her down too, if not unconscious. Buffy was up in a second, spinning around, trying to figure out how to fight back.

_Did they tell you you belonged here?_ The woman in the mist asked Buffy again, as the phone began to ring, _Did they say this was your home again? Did they say there was room for you? _Buffy got a hold on her, but it dissolved seconds later, before hitting her again, _Were you offered pretty lies little girl?_ Buffy felt strong arms wrapped around her, choking the life out of her _Or did they even give you a choice?_

_

* * *

_She's not picking up," Giles told the others as he called home from the back of Xander's car. Anya sat in the front passenger seat with Xander. 

"Maybe coz it's already there," Anya reasoned, "And they're too busy being dead," Giles' look made Anya quickly add something else to her suggestion, "Or they're busy fighting it"

"Drive faster," Giles urged Xander.

"Hey," Xander countered, "Do I have to remind you about the Gilesmobile?" Giles didn't reply, "Besides Willow and Tara are doing a spell and soon Buffy will be able to kick it's newly corporeal ass"

* * *

The demon was partly corporeal, part mist which while it made it possible for Buffy to break free of it's vice-like grip, it didn't make her delivered punches anymore effective. She looked around the living room, before running over to the chest she knew the weapons were kept. She swung it open and grabbed an axe. She swept the axe through the air, but it didn't even touch the misty demon. It only caused it to laugh. 

_You're the one who's barely here. Set on this earth like a bubble. You won't even disturb the air when you go_

At that point Anya, Xander and Giles burst in through the front door.

"See to Mom!" Buffy urged them as she swung the axe again at the almost solid demon. It was then that the three noticed Joyce's crumpled form on the floor for the first time. Giles went to run over, but was cut off by another swing from Buffy's axe.

"Watch out," Giles automatically told her, but she wasn't listening as she suddenly saw the demon solidify.

"I am here!" The demon exclaimed gleefully but a second later Buffy was chopping at her. Within moments she sliced off it's head. The body collapsed to the floor and it's head rolled away, leaving entrails trailing behind.

"Ewww..." Anya grimaced as Xander turned away from the sight. Giles was paying more attention to the still unconscious Joyce. However, she now seemed to be coming around slightly.

"Joyce?" He prompted gently as Buffy just watched from afar, clearly concerned but making no efforts to head forward and see for herself whether her Mom was okay.

* * *

The next morning, everyone was getting ready to drop Dawn off at school, before heading off to work. Buffy just stood in the hall watching them go from room to room, amazingly synchronized. 

"Buffy?"

Buffy turned to see Dawn there looking at her in deep concern.

"Hmm?"

"Buffy, are you okay?"

Buffy managed to smile.

"I'm going to start charging people to ask me that"

"People been doing that a lot huh?" Dawn smiled and Buffy nodded.

"Little bit"

"It's because we care about you a lot," Dawn explained, "When you were gone...it was bad when you were gone. Everything changed...I mean Mom was hardly here anymore. She was always patrolling with others-"

"Sh-she patrolled?"

"Yeah," Dawn nodded, "And it wasn't right...it was just everything was falling apart without you here. But it'll get better now. Now that they can see you being happy. That's all they want"

Joyce walked past them, looking around for where she had put her car keys.

"Mom," Buffy stopped her in her tracks with a single word, "After you've dropped Dawn off can I come with you and Giles? To the Magic Box? Before you go to the gallery I mean"

"Of course honey," Joyce was slightly puzzled by Buffy's request but she didn't show it.

* * *

"So you did that," Buffy said, looking at Willow in the Magic Box after finally telling them all the fact that for that time she had been dead she had been stuck in a tortuous Hell Dimension, "And the world came rushing back. So...thank you. You guys gave me the world. Thank you. I can't tell you what it means to me." 

Willow, Tara and Joyce were openly shedding tears, while Giles and Xander merely showed upset in a manly way. Anya just viewed the entire scene with interest tainted with concern.

"Oh Buffy," Joyce cried, not believing what horrors her daughter had been through. She gave Buffy a tight hug and seconds later Willow and Xander were joining in.

The hug was warm and loving, but after a while it was Buffy that tugged away first as though that had been too much emotion for her at once. She shrugged them off, giving the whole crowd in the Magic Box a little smile.

"I'm just...gonna get some air," She told them with a smile, before heading out back.

Once she was gone Joyce turned to Willow and the others.

"You...you all brought her back...f-from...you brought her back from hell," The gratefulness was tangible in her voice.

"Like we said though," Tara told her, "We couldn't have done it without Willow"

"Willow," Joyce said, her voice breaking as she tried to hold back from even more tears flowing. Instead she opted to hug Willow just as tightly as she had hugged Buffy, "Thank you," She said into her ear as they hugged, "You saved her. Thank you" She pulled out of the hug to look at the others, "All of you thank you. So much"

While they all talked together, discussing what had happened and how exactly they had saved Buffy, Joyce noticed how Giles was saying very little and he seemed less than impressed by this whole revelation.


	4. Flooded

Abryxis- I just want to say how terribly sorry I am for your Buffy predicament. Feel the waves of sympathy vibes flowing off me and heading toward you. I can't believe how you were deprived of Buffy's final seasons. Yes that is like a prison sentence. A prison sentence on Death Row. And then to be given hope for Season 6 only to have it dashed by bad quality? I think you need Anyanka's pals (possibly Halfrek) to reap a little vengeance there! But I can see how a station that disapproved of the same sex relations,demons etc would be very against Anya also as she sums all of the above up in a blunt crude form. Onlyfive episodes of season 6 and none of 7 though? I really do feel sorry for you. Here is a virtual hug (and yes, saying Buffy isn't worth it is officially sacrilegious[man that's a word I can't spell) Well, hopefully my little fanfic will help you catch up on the seasons as well (I can't believe you said this was one of your all time favorites. I got all of a dither when I read that. It's all with the blushing...and the ego inflating...you are going to turn me into some crazy ego absorbing monster-demon-thing). And about Tara's death...well, all I will say is that while tragedy will strike in the season finale, I love Tara too much. ;-) Heheh. And yes, Wicked Willow (Darth Willow/Dark Willow) was part of the season 6 finale and she will be in this one. She wasn't a fanfic. Thank you so much for the review- I love receiving them so much, and remember- I have the uber sympathy over your Buffy plight. I'll even put on my sympathy hat (If I had one) (Which I don't) (Man, I'm rambling, I must be tired) (90 minutes is enough sleep, right?) (Nah, never mind. No rest for the wicked...or me...apparently)

Rabidreject-Why tamper with a classic, I always say. If you feel there is no other way to describe my work, but awesome, feel free to say awesome. I will not complain. Hehe. Glad you liked it though and thanks for the review.

Zigpal- Yes, and so shalt the walking around of Joyce begin. So shall it be. And well things will, I think anyway if my plans go to erm...plan, be going wicked differently after Once More With Feeling. Although before then they'll be going off a bit as well. Tganks for the claparized review as always.

* * *

Dawn was a bit late home from Janice's. Okay, an hour late her Mother might consider more than a bit. But it wasn't like she'd walked home- Janice's Mom had dropped her off and it wasn't like Joyce didn't like Janice, and she fully trusted Kate. 

Still, Dawn walked in with her head hung low, hoping to avoid eye contact with her Mom when she walked in. But closing the front door she saw Joyce wasn't in the front room or the dining room. Dawn frowned in confusion, looking round, but saw neither her Mom nor Giles anywhere and Buffy she just assumed was on patrol again.

"Mom?" Dawn called out, but there was no reply. Instead she heard the sound of voices upstairs. Intrigued, she followed the sound till she reached the top of the stairs where the voices became clear and the words they were saying became decipherable.

"The Council?" She heard her Mom saying from the bedroom Joyce shared with Giles, "You think you...we...should go-why?Why now? You've never shown any agreement with their procedures before"

"Yes, I know," Giles said in a patient tone though Dawn could tell through his voice that he was fast losing it, "But Buffy's is a special circumstance. Her return would require some form of a re-"

"That's it, isn't it?" Joyce cut him off, her voice knowing yet annoyed, "You want to ask the '_Council'_ about their opinion on the whole thing. You still think there's something wrong with Buffy don't you? We've been through this"

"Apparently not enough," Giles replied, "This isn't natural in the first place Joyce, there's going to be problems. Problems we ourselves don't have knowledge on"

"And they will?" Joyce challenged, "They're useless. You're just in search of finding something substantial to place your ridiculous theories on"

"They' are not ridiculous and you know it," Giles pointed out, "And that's why you're getting so entirely affronted by the suggestion."

"No," Dawn could practically hear her Mom shake her head firmly in defiance, "You, you are just looking for problems where there are none"

"And you are in denial of them where they so blatantly are"

"Can't you just be happy about it?" Joyce pleaded, "Just be glad...enjoy it, be relieved, anything?"

"I am happy," Giles told her, "But you know as much as I that-"

"No"

"You can't live in denial of it Joyce," Giles told her, "I wish I didn't have to be the bearer of harsh reality among this _entire_ group but you _and_ the others, even Buffy herself, are going to have to face up to it sooner or later. That something-"

"No," Joyce cut him off. Dawn, even though their voices were muffled through the door, could tell they were shouting now, "I am not having this conversation again, okay? It's finished"

Dawn quickly ran away from her vigil on the stairs and into her bedroom as she heard her Mom walking towards the door loudly, clearly in a mood with Giles. She closed the door behind her, listening for her Mom walking past and then Giles, before she would walk out of her bedroom.

As she thought on what she had just heard, Dawn felt something that was like childlike-dread in the pit of her stomach. The arguing between her Mom and Giles just then had sounded so like when her Mom and Dad had been arguing all the time. Shortly before the separation. Shortly before the divorce.

* * *

"Dawn eat your breakfast," Joyce encouraged as she came into the kitchen with the mail. 

"Not hungry," Dawn told her as she looked down at her bowl of cereal and meant every word of what she said. Her worry over her Mom and Giles arguing was seriously ruining her appetite.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, Dawn," Buffy told her as she turned on the kitchen tap, "It's unbelievably important," She continued in a trance-like voice as she watched the water pour from the tap and both Joyce and Dawn looked at each other worriedly before looking at Buffy in concern, "You should eat breakfast at least three times a day" Suddenly the water was cut off and stopped flowing from the tap, breaking Buffy out of her chance.

"Has that cut off again?" Joyce asked in annoyance, attempting to sound as though everything was normal, "It's that damn pipe downstairs." She shook her head, resolving to solve the problem in a bit, before returning to shuffling through the mail, mentally dividing them into piles of Bills, Junk and Personal.

It was while she was doing this that Giles walked into the room.

"Rupert, you said you were going to call the plumber," Joyce reminded him without looking up from her task of mail shuffling.

"Oh bugger," He cursed as he realized how he had forgotten completely and seeing this, Joyce put the mail down on the table, looking across at him in exasperation.

"It's been like that for days," She reminded him, "I said I would call a plumber myself at work, but you told me you had it covered"

"I did," He insisted, "It's just with everything-" He sighed, "I will call one today"

"Don't bother," She told him, as she grabbed the cordless off the side, "I'll call one now." She pointed at the sink as she dialed one handedly, "If that water cuts off one more time while I'm using it..." She didn't finish the sentence, but the implication of how mad it would make her was there. "Hello? Yes, I need a plumber...well, right away really" She said into the phone as she walked out of the room carrying on the conversation.

"So Buffy," Giles said, attempting at casual as silence fell on the kitchen, "I was wondering whether you had-"

"Any plans? As in today?" Buffy filled in and she shrugged, "I dunno...it's just weird making day-to-day plans again after...you know"

Giles nodded in understanding.

"Yes, but perhaps it would be best to form some form of routine. Get you back on your feet after-"

"Lying flat on my back?" Buffy finished bluntly, making both Dawn and Giles uncomfortable. "I don't know yet..." Buffy continued, "I guess routine is good...I'm just not sure what I want that routine to be yet"

Everyone was saved responding to this as Joyce's voice got louder as she obviously got annoyed at whoever she was talking to on the phone about the plumbing.

"What do you mean you don't take credit- that's just ridiculous. How am I supposed to have the right amount of money in the house for- _set deposit?_ Right...wait, how _much?_ And that's just the set...well that's completely out of...will it cost me anything for you to merely _look_?"

"I sense issues..." Dawn commented with a wince and a moment later Joyce came back into the kitchen, clicking the end call button on the phone.

"Well," Joyce stated setting the phone down on the island in annoyance, "Guess that's means I'm taking a trip to the bank today. Set deposit- can you believe that?"

"How much?" Giles asked and Joyce just gave him a look.

"You don't want to know, trust me," She told me, "Well, I guess I'll have to go to the bank in a bit. Before work"

"I could come with you," Buffy suggested with a shrug, "You know...get out of the house...maybe. Or something," Buffy seemed to force herself to smile as she looked at Giles, "See- I already have my first plan for the day"

Giles smiled back at her with a nod, but deep down he wasn't as easily convinced, and he knew, even though she continued to deny it, Joyce wasn't either.

* * *

Despite Buffy's almost-enthusiasm about the trip to the bank, earlier on in the kitchen, the drive to said bank was painfully quiet. Buffy didn't appear at all eager for any form of communication and Joyce had no idea what to say. 

"S-so is there somewhere in particular you want to go after this?" Joyce asked, making an attempt at casual, "I could drop you off...I mean, I assume you won't be wanting to come along to the gallery with me," She laughed a little and was relieved when Buffy smiled back.

"Just home I guess," Buffy told her, "Not really up to doing the hanging thing today. Just wanted to get out of the house a bit"

"Well," Joyce said after making an effort to nod in agreement, "Just as long as you're keeping yourself busy. Wouldn't want you to get bored in that big old house when nobody's home" She joked again, but this time only got a tight strained smile in return.

Thankfully, the bank came into sight and Joyce pulled over at the curb.

"Ooh, look- bank," Buffy pointed out, making to sound like a tourist before she undid her seatbelt and got out of the car at almost exactly the same moment as her Mom.

Joyce almost pointed out to Buffy that she was only going to the bank's ATM outside, so there was really no reason for her to get out of the car also, but she stopped herself just in time as any sort of willingness to do anything on Buffy's part had to be viewed as a good.

"Have you ever noticed that ATMs sound like a drum roll before they give out your money?" Buffy pondered aloud as they walked over, "It's like ta-da! Cash!"

Joyce gave Buffy a wry smile at this comment.

"Sometimes, I swear, I don't know what goes on in that head of yours," Joyce told her with a shake of the head, but really she was ecstatic at Buffy's quirky ramblings. It was how she had been before...well, before everything. She never seemed to be like this when the entire group was around her though and Joyce wondered whether that was the problem. Maybe all that was the matter was that overly large crowds were a little overwhelming for Buffy right now- after all, she'd nearly, well she_ had_, fallen into banter with her Mother. That had to be a good sign, right?

Reaching the ATM, Joyce deflated as she saw the sign that was up on the monitor. MACHINES OUT OF SERVICE. Marvelous.

"Oh darn," Joyce said, pursing her lips in annoyance and peering through the doors of the bank to see the size of the queues inside. They weren't that bad, "Guess we'll just have to ask inside instead. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Buffy shrugged, walking in before Joyce had even started to head in that direction.

Five minutes later and they were still in the queue.

"It seemed shorter from outside," Joyce defended when Buffy glared at her, but yet again she wasn't really tired or annoyed at Buffy's reaction. Glaring was good, glaring was emotion and emotion meant that Buffy was finally getting over her time in...hell. She was getting back to normal. A normal girl who was still a Slayer...but still, normal. Huh, Joyce thought, that'll show Rupert.

Suddenly, as though out of no where, a security guard went flying through the air past Buffy and Joyce and smashed through one of the windows. Ah, there was the not so normal part.

"Oh great," Buffy grumbled with a serious frown as her eyes landed on the tall, green demon (oddly enough who was wearing a red shirt over a black top with trousers. A contrast to be sure) that had barged into the bank creating what could only be described as one hell of a riot. Next the demon picked up a bank customer and tossed him after the security guard. There were screams, but for some odd Sunnydalian reason- none of the other customers actually made a move to get out of the demon's way. They just stood there and screamed. "I'll be right back," Buffy told her Mom as though she were just popping off to the ladies room, before rushing over to the demon.

The demon paused in it's roaring and destruction-causing-activity when Buffy stood in front of him. He looked down at her as though wondering what the heck she was doing there.

"Are you in the wrong line?" She asked him, "That's for deposits, that's for withdrawals and this one? Is for getting kicked in the face" Before the demon could even start to reply she delivered a sharp and powerful high forward front kick, causing the demon's jaw to crack loudly and his head snapped to the side. "Told ya," She said with a shrug.

The demon backhanded her so powerfully in response, she was sent rushing along the floor into one of the barriers. She shook her head for a second, before jumping back up, no worse for wear.

The demon headed for her again, but he could barely touch her before she hit him with three roundhouse kicks in quick succession, sending him staggering backwards. They immediately engaged into a full-on fight, one in which Buffy was quickly gaining the upper hand. That is, until the demon picked her up off the floor and held her in a rib-crushing grip.

"Buffy!" Joyce exclaimed, not quite sure what she could do to help, but knowing she had to do something. She automatically stopped mid-run however when there was the loud sound of a gun being fired into the air. The whole bank seemed to freeze at this sound and the guard immediately became nervous at the fact that everyone, including the wicked looking demon, was paying attention to him.

"P-put the girl down," He stuttered, pointing the gun at it. The demon roared and threw Buffy into the security guard and the two went crashing to the ground from the impact. Buffy quickly told the security guard that the weapon wasn't exactly helpful in these situations, tossed it aside (causing it to go off again) and jumped back up to attack the demon. She got in a few good solid punches to the demon's jaw, arms, and torso, before it seemed to decide it was fighting a losing battle and it ran out of the store.

"Chicken," Buffy muttered, before looking around for her Mom, who although had been on the floor moments ago after the sound of the gunshot, was now up and helping others get their balance back as well, "So," Buffy said, walking over, "Should we go get that withdrawal now?"

* * *

"A demon? At the bank?" Giles asked incredulously at the Magic Box later on. Almost immediately after the 'little' event at the bank, Joyce and Buffy had got in the car and canceled out any plans for the gallery or home and instead headed straight to the magic shop. 

"Big, green, scaly- and wicked-strong," Buffy told him.

"Hmm," Giles said thoughtfully, before saying, "Surprisingly, that doesn't seem to narrow the demonic society down too much"

"Does this mean we're hitting the books?" Xander asked from where he stood with Anya. He paused, looking at everyone questioningly, "I just got _way_ too excited about that didn't I?".

Giles nodded, "I suppose research is our best course of action now"

"But _all_ of us?" Anya whined, but smiled tightly when she saw Giles' look, "I mean yay- research party..." And she wandered off to the table with Xander.

"I think I'm gonna sit this one out," Buffy told them all, "Might be better if I train. Giles?"

"What?" Anya yelped, "You make us research and then _you_ don't. You can't do this to us," Anya told Giles firmly, "It's unethical and...unamerican"

"Yes, I'm sure," Giles said sounding not at all convinced, but more as though he were merely pacifying Anya, "Well, c-call Tara and Willow- see if they can help"

"Fine," Anya grumbled in acceptance before heading over to the phone.

"Giles?" Buffy called. She was already at the training room door.

"He'll be there in a minute," Joyce told her and she nodded in acceptance before walking into the back room.

"I will?" Giles asked Joyce, "Why?"

"I just wanted to talk to you a moment"

"Yes?"

"About Buffy," She told him, "Today at the bank, she was almost her old self again. Making jokes and she fell into the Slaying with ease- no complaints. See, she's adjusting fine"

"Why are-"

"Because you keep saying that she's not adjusting. That there's something wrong with her," Joyce replied before he could even finish asking his question, "And today just showed that there isn't."

"Why are you telling me this?" Giles asked in a not unkind way and Joyce frowned.

"Because you've been saying that Buffy isn't okay and I just wanted to show you that she was...oksy tha is, and after today, she showed she was okay and so I wanted to tell you what happened...and I have now told you..." She stomped her foot slightly in frustration, "Stop making me babble"

"I'm not doing anything," He protested calmly.

"Yes you are," She insisted, "You've got that look you get, when you think your view's the right one and you believe everyone will just have to catch up to you soon. But no- this time, I'm right- I _know_ Buffy's fine"

"No, you want to know Buffy's fine," He countered, "The only one of us who can truly be sure is Buffy and as she has stated numerous times she doesn't wish to talk about it...which is worryingly enough really."

"I-"

"Joyce, you said today she fell back into Slaying with ease," He said and she nodded, "And she wants to train now, but it all seems to be terribly methodical. And that's not Buffy"

Joyce didn't say anything in reply for a moment, but he could see her frustration mounting.

"I've got to get to work," She told him, grabbing her purse and walking out the front door.

* * *

"Hey," Dawn smiled as she got in the car when her Mom picked her up at the end of school. 

"Hi, sweetheart, have a good day?" Joyce asked the usual Mom-questions as she pulled away from the front of the high school. She remembered when Buffy was in High School, she hadn't picked her up everyday in the car, but that was because Sunnydale High had been so much closer to home that Dawn's High School. Dawn's was a little out of the way and the only way to ensure she got home safely was to pick her up and drop her off personally. Not that Dawn ever complained. A ride was a ride.

"Yeah, well, Siobhan was a total bee-otch in Art today...but otherwise all a good."

"Dawn..." Joyce said warningly.

"Well, she was," Her daughter shrugged in response, before falling into contemplative silence as she looked out the side car window as they drove past the southern Californian homes. Joyce knew something was wrong. Dawn was _never_ this quiet. She was never quiet full-stop.

"What's wrong?" Joyce asked kindly and mom-all-knowingly.

"Nothing," Dawn told her, not taking her eyes away from the 'sights' she could see through the car window.

"C'mon, you can tell me _anything_," Joyce told her sincerely and Dawn seemed to relent.

"Mom...areyouandGilesgettingdivorced?"

It took Joyce a moment to decipher the jumble of words, but she eventually figured out what Dawn was asking.

"What? What on Earth gave you that idea?"

Dawn shrugged.

"You're just arguing a lot lately." Dawn pointed out, not looking at her Mom as she said it.

"Couples argue Dawn. It just happens sometimes. It doesn't mean...it doesn't mean anything"

"It did with you and Dad," Dawn countered, clearly uncomfortable saying it, but saying it nonetheless.

"That...that was different," Joyce told her simply. She had never told Dawn of Hank's 'activities' in the office with his secretary (talk about living the cliché) and she never intended to. "Rupert and I...we're just...we just disagree on a few matters lately. That's all."

"So you're not getting divorced?" Dawn checked and Joyce shook her head.

"No"

"And you're not gonna like have a 'separation' like Jennifer's parents?"

"Dawn..." Joyce said tiredly and Dawn stopped asking questions. But what really worried Dawn was that while her Mom had said no about divorce, she had chosen not to answer as regards to separation.

* * *

"You're not doing research Dawn," 

"But Mom-" Dawn whined as a pile of books were slid along the table by her Mother, out of her reach.

"No, buts. I said we could stay at the Magic Box, while everyone's here researching. But you don't take part in it. Are we clear?"

Dawn, not to be defeated so easily turned to Tara.

"Tara, aren't I so old enough to be doing research?"

"Uh-"

"Don't bring Tara into this," Joyce reprimanded, "I've said no and that's final"

"Tara?" Dawn asked, purposely ignoring her Mother.

"Well, erm..." Tara searched around for a compromising answer to say, "I think you're very mature for your age...but you're still only fifteen"

"There, happy now?" Joyce asked Dawn, feeling slightly smug, "Now go finish your homework," Dawn went to sit down at the table, "_Away_ from the books" Dawn sighed and headed over to the far table near the counter.

"I still don't get it," Xander announced, "What type of demon robs a bank?"

"The kind that wants money," Anya replied

"Absolutely atrocious," Giles murmured, looking up from the book he was reading through, "Demons wanting money instead of kittens, plane tickets out of Sunnydale instead of the still beating heart of a virgin...the decline of a society"

"Mmm," Joyce murmured not in entire agreement, but she frowned mid-mmm, "Wait, kittens?"

"Ooh! Ooh!" Willow exclaimed, "I think I found your demon Buffy" She held out the book to her friend, "Mmm...Fashnik. Or Muh Fashnik, or even Em Fashnik. I'm not sure. But is this him?"

Buffy squinted for a moment at the image, before nodding.

"That's him. Big, bad...this thing was strong guys. No weapons that I could see, but...what do you think Giles?"

Giles gave Joyce a pointed look which she chose to ignore, before he took the book from Buffy.

"M'Fashnik," Giles said, pronouncing it like Mmm Cookies, "Ah yes"

"You know it?" Tara asked.

"By reputation," Giles told her, "It comes from a long line of mercenary demons, known to perform acts of slaughter and mayhem for the highest bidder"

"Well, it is the American way," Xander joked, "Still, it doesn't exactly fit your typical bank robber"

"Unless it wasn't him who robbed the bank, but the people who hired him," Willow suggested and Giles nodded.

"Exactly. Which begs the question, who in Sunnydale is powerful enough to control one of these things?"

No one had the answer.

* * *

Another argument. And Joyce knew Dawn had been listening in at the bedroom door. Lately all the married couple seemed to do lately was argue. And now it wasn't even restricted to just arguments about Buffy any longer. The plumbing, which was only half-way fixed and still costing (Though Xander had kindly done some haggling for them with his friend Tito) had been a huge source of discord lately as well. Maybe Dawn was right- maybe they were heading in the same direction she and Hank had. This most recent of arguments had ended with Giles refusing to talk about it anymore when Joyce apparently 'wouldn't listen' and he had headed off downstairs. Now Joyce debated whether to storm off after him, or just pretend like she didn't care and just go on about her night. She eventually decided to storm after him. 

As she reached the hallway she saw he wasn't in the dining room or living room, but she heard his voice coming from the kitchen so she wandered over to the kitchen door, but stopped herself from walking in when she heard the person he was talking to was Willow. What was Willow even still doing here at night?

"Talk to me?" Willow asked.

"Yes," Giles replied, "With all that has happened recently, I haven't quite had a chance to discuss with you _how_ it happened"

"Oh," Willow said, suddenly sounding eager to chat, "You wanna know what I did"

"Yes, tell me about the spell you performed,"

"Well," Willow began, "Okay, first of all it was _so_ scary. Like the Blair Witch would have had to watch it like this," Joyce, listening through the door, could only assume that Willow was covering her eyes with her hands, "And this giant snake came out of my mouth and then there was all this energy crackling and then this pack of demons interrupted- you know the ones who were like trying to take over Sunnydale- but I _totally_ kept it together and the next thing you know...Buffy" Willow finished proudly.

"You're a very stupid girl," Joyce barely heard Giles say, he said it so quietly and sadly and Joyce was as puzzled by this comment as Willow sounded.

"What? Giles..."

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Giles asked, controlled anger building in his voice, "The forces you've harnessed? The lines you've crossed?"

"I thought you'd be...impressed or something," Willow said, sounding deflated and sad.

"Oh don't worry, you've made a very deep impression," Giles assured her, his anger mounting, "Of everyone here- you are the one I trusted the most to respect the forces of nature"

"Are you saying you don't trust me?" Willow asked, hurt.

"Think what you've done to Buffy," Giles told Willow and Joyce, at this sentence, became even more rapt with attention.

"I brought her back!" Willow almost-shouted at him.

"At incredible risk," He countered.

"Of what? Making her deader?"

"Killing us all. Unleashing a hell on Earth. Shall I go on?"

"No, Giles," Willow protested, "I did what I had to do. I did what nobody else could do"

"Oh there are others in this world who could do what you did," Giles told her, "You just don't want to meet them"

"Okay, probably not..." Willow admitted, "But they're bad guys. I'm not a bad guy. I brought Buffy back to the world and maybe the word you should be looking for is congratulations"

"Having Buffy back in the world makes me feel indescribably wonderful," Giles said and Joyce couldn't help but smile. Those were the words she'd been encouraging him to say for weeks and now...he had finally said it. But why to Willow and never to her? "but I wouldn't congratulate you if you jumped off a cliff and happened to survive" Giles continued, sounding extremely frustrated.

"That's not what I did Giles!" Willow protested.

"You were lucky," He told her, plain and simple.

"I wasn't lucky, I was amazing," Willow said and Joyce thought she sounded a little too self-assured in her abilities for her own good, "And how would you know? You weren't even there"

"If I had found out I would have bloody well stopped you!" Those words almost made Joyce's heart stop beating in shock. He would have stopped them bringing back Buffy if he could have? He would have willingly left her in hell? All for the 'Greater Good'? "The Magicks you channeled are more primal and ferocious than you can hope to understand," Giles continued, "And you're lucky to be alive, you rank, arrogant amateur"

"You're right," Willow replied calmly, "The Magicks I used are incredibly powerful. _I'm_ incredibly powerful," And suddenly the sweet red-head's voice became deadly menacing, "And maybe it isn't a good idea for you to piss me off"

Joyce didn't want to hear anymore. She didn't want to hear Willow sound like that. And she didn't want to hear any more of Buffy's resurrection. She backed away and headed into the living room, taking a seat on the sofa.

Giles had sounded so concerned in the kitchen. Not just about Buffy, but about the consequences her being back could have brought to everyone. He was so busy being concerned for everyone else's safety, he didn't even have time just to be happy himself that Buffy was back.

Willow had spoken to him so harshly, she hadn't even sounded like her usual self. She had sounded menacing, dangerous, powerful. In all honesty, it had scared Joyce. She suddenly didn't feel in the mood at all to continue her argument with Giles. Her thoughts drifted back to Dawn referring to Jennifer's parents having a separation. Joyce hadn't said whether or not she and Giles were heading that way, because truth be told, she really didn't know herself. She did know that she and Hank had had a separation, before shortly after they had decided to start the proceedings for divorce.

Looking around the room, Joyce caught sight of what she was searching for under one of the side tables. She pulled it out and started flipping through the directory.

* * *

It was late at night , Willow was now long gone, and Joyce had ripped out the number and advertisement she needed out of the Yellow Pages and was just about to head up to bed, when Dawn came down the stairs.

"Dawn, what are you doing up?" She asked, getting up off the sofa.

"Couldn't sleep," Dawn replied, "Gonna try mixing all the cereals together"

"In an attempt to vomit yourself to sleep?" Joyce asked with a raised eyebrow and Dawn shrugged.

"Worth a try,"

"Well, I think Rupert's still in the kitchen, so you may to warn him of your little experiment before you begin"

"Warn me of what experiment?" Giles asked, walking out of the kitchen.

"Cereal plans," Dawn said knowledgeably, but before Giles could reply, he was interrupted by the front door being knocked through and crashing down off it's hinges. There stood the demon Joyce and Buffy had come across at the bank.

Dawn, stood directly in front of the demon, screamed incredibly loudly and incredibly high-pitched and Joyce grabbed a hold of her hand, pulling her daughter behind her protectively.

Giles took a step towards the demon, but before he could do anything, M'Fashnik swatted him aside and as he fell, his head hit the banister, knocking him out cold. Joyce couldn't help but roll her eyes at the fact he'd been knocked unconscious again.

"You're not the Slayer," The M'Fashnik demon taking a step towards Joyce who was still stood protectively in front of Dawn, "But you'll do for a start"

He lunged towards them, but suddenly stopped cold. Buffy had a hold of him and she yanked him away.

"Y'ever heard o' knockin'?" Buffy asked the demon, glancing down at the detached door, before punching him so hard he went flying past Joyce and Dawn and into the table. He got up quickly, outstretching his arms as he roared in frustration, causing him to knock over a table lamp with a loud smash.

"You have cost me Slayer!" He yelled at her, but Buffy was incredulous.

"I cost _you_? That's a designer lamp you mook!"

She swung round and hit him with a roundhouse kick that sent him spinning into the sofa, but before he could land she grabbed him and hurled him in the direction of the dining room where he was caught by...Spike.

The fight was fairly simple and straight forward with both Spike and Buffy exchanging blows with the demon, before Buffy, after being slid along the dining room table, came across a box of items from the gallery that Joyce was inventorying at home and pulled out what appeared to be a wicked looking knife. She stabbed the demon directly in the heart with it and it's light blue blood oozed over the weapon and Buffy's hand as the demon fell to the floor, dead.

"Ew," Buffy grumbled, shaking the blood off her hands.

The demon's body lay there motionless and taking up a hell of a lot of room.

"Anyone else waiting for it to go 'poof'?" Dawn asked in puzzlement as her Mother gingerly took the knife from Buffy's hands. It was a 15th-century French Athamé. Very rare, very pricey and so very non-valuable and useless now as the demon's blood caused it to erode and melt. Joyce sighed in resignation at the terrible sight, before placing the athamé back down on the table.

* * *

The next morning, in the living room, Joyce held out the advertisement she had ripped out of the directory to Giles.

"Marriage Counseling?" He asked, incredulously.

"Yes," She nodded, taking a seat beside him, "You and I both know that things have been...well, less than perfect between us lately. And maybe...we just need a little help"

"But marriage counseling?" Giles asked in disdain, "Joyce-"

"I know some of the things going on in our lives are definitely too supernatural to be discussed with a counselor," Joyce reasoned, "But _our_ problems are more normal than para so...please? Can't we just try it? You never know"

Giles sighed as he looked at Joyce. It was true, things had been, _tense_ between them lately, for lack of a better word. And they weren't getting better anytime soon. In fact, they just seemed to be getting worse. So maybe...but _marriage counseling? _Still, there was no harm in trying.

"I suppose we could try it," He admitted, but before Joyce could reply, Buffy walked into the room wearing serious face.

"Buffy, what is it?" Joyce asked, concerned.

"Angel just called"

​


	5. Life Serial

g120- Thank you very much for review and what you said. And yes you're right, it woul change things a lot and things will bgettig ver presto-change (although possibly without the presto) after Tabula Rasa.;-)

Rabidreject- Thanks for review- your must have now comment really made me chuckle. It sounded very homer simpson meets terminator.haha.

zigpal- thanks for review (and claps!). And well, you will just have to see where the Gileses(eseses...haha) are going- OMWF should be all revealo. ;-) hehe. You liked the non-spikage in the last chapter? Well you'll like this one too then. I seem to be spike-lite lately. And also- I already have Hells Bellian plans...durn durn durn. Ominous, no? Haha.

* * *

Although Buffy wasn't yet back from her trip to see Angel, the dining room table at 1630 Revello Drive was far from empty. 

Tara and Willow had taken Dawn out for the day when High School got canceled due to the discovery of some exotic, unidentified sea creature dead in the sewers directly underneath the school. The smell had been terrible enough, according to the newspapers, to spread throughout the entire building. Initially, the Slayerettes had been worried by this, but Giles had done a little quick recon to find, in a unexpected blast from the past, one of the fish monsters the swim team had turned into during Buffy's Junior year at Sunnydale High. Apparently one of the group hadn't quite made it all the way back to the ocean. So, the only worry caused by the discovery was what half-assed explanation the Sunnydale Council and Police Force was going to come up with and, also, what had killed the ex-swim team member in the first place. Giles had decided, and the others agreed, than unless obvious evidence popped up showing what had caused the death of the Fish Monster, then, for once, the group shouldn't go looking for trouble where there possibly was none.

And so, after Tara and Willow had been so kind as to look after Dawn for the entire day and taking her to the mall, when they returned Joyce had insisted they stay for dinner, much to Dawn's glee.

And so now they all sat around the table, with only one spare seat where Buffy should be sat had she been back earlier, chatting as they finished off what was left of dinner.

"Hello!" Buffy's voice called out as she walked in through the (recently reattached) front door.

"Buffy?" Joyce called back, looking over from where she sat to see Buffy wander in, holding a bucket full of what looked to be Kentucky fried chicken.

"Yep, me." Buffy replied as she walked into the dining room, "And I picked up dinner. Deep fried chicken parts" Her eyes fell on the array of plates that had moments ago held food. Dinner-type food. "You ate"

"Well, uh, w-w-we didn't know what time you'd, you'd be back," Joyce told her, sounding incredibly guilty as though being caught eating was being caught doing something she shouldn't.

"S'okay," Buffy told her, but Joyce could tell she was disappointed, "More for me" She took the remaining seat at the table, peering into her bucket of chicken.

"Well, I don't know about everybody else but I for one would love some chicken," Tara said, smiling at Buffy as she reached for some chicken and at that moment Joyce could have hugged her, just for that one small effort to make Buffy feel better.

"Yes, as would I," Giles agreed, catching on.

"It does smell good," Joyce admitted, before looking at the others, "In a forbidden-I-really-shouldn't-fast-food sort of way"

"I'll take a drumstick," Dawn announced.

"I'm more of a breast girl myself," Willow grinned and Joyce, who at that moment had been taking a sip of her drink, choked and spluttered, "Then...I guess you all already knew that..." She added quietly.

"So...?" Dawn prompted after they had all taken their respective pieces of chicken.

"What, so?" Buffy asked, completely nonplussed.

"So how was it?" Dawn asked, "Seeing Angel. Him seeing you. Was it weird? What about that Gunn guy? Was he there too?"

"_Dawn_" Joyce reprimanded her youngest daughter for her bluntness over sensitive topics. She turned to Buffy, "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to honey"

"Of course not," Tara agreed.

"I don't," Buffy said quietly. She looked up at everybody, "I'm sorry...I'd just rather not"

At this comment Giles threw Joyce a very pointed look as if to say 'see?'. She ignored him completely, and simply started collecting up the dirty plates, and as she piled one on top of the other, she brought her plate down on his in front of him a little louder than she intended, her anger coming through slightly and the others at the table jumped, startled by the sudden, sharp noise.

"Buffy," Giles said, if only to fill the sudden silence that had entered the room, "there was some discussion during your absence about...well, about what you're going to do now. Your plans"

"My, my plans?" Buffy asked, looking around at everyone. "As in life plans? Like right now?"

"There's no rush, Buffy," Joyce assured her as she piled up the last plate, "Rupert's making it sound a lot more sudden and fast paced than it is. We were just wondering if you have any idea what you'd _like_ to do next. Maybe return to college perhaps?"

As Buffy considered her answer, Joyce took the dirty dishes into the kitchen.

"Well, I enjoyed last year" Buffy reasoned, "And I did plan on continuing with it. I mean it isn't like I have any incompletes...I mean Glory conveniently left the uber plans till after the semester had finished," Buffy didn't seem to notice how uncomfortable this reference seemed to make everybody feel as she carried on talking, "And so I planned to enroll in the fall. But then I missed the registration cut-off being dead and all..." Again she failed to notice how uncomfortable her words made everyone feel and even Joyce, who'd only caught the end of her words, felt awkward when she walked back into the room.

"Well, even it's too late for late enrollment and too early for early you could still come to classes with Tara and me," Willow suggested helpfully.

"That's a good idea Willow," Joyce agreed encouragingly.

"Yeah," Tara nodded, "You can audit for the rest of the semester until registration"

"Audit, okay," Buffy nodded firmly, but she sounded unsure, "That seems like...a pretty good plan I guess. I mean sure. I could do that...right? What do you think Mom? Giles?"

"Well, uh-" Joyce stumbled over her words in reply, as she tried to ignore the look she _knew_ Giles was giving her even if she couldn't see it, "It's really your decision sweetheart, but if it's what you want to do, I'm positive you could. You're very, uh, very capable" Buffy still looked unsure, "But if school isn't quite where you want to go right now..."

"Right," Willow said, a little too quickly, "Right, it might not be. Not that I'm saying it couldn't be because you wouldn't be able to...I just mean if you didn't...Xander could probably get you some work on the building site."

"Very music video with a hard hat on," Dawn agreed.

"Or, erm, you could also work at the shop with Anya and I," Giles suggested, clearly not keen on the idea of Buffy working on a building site- Xander being the only decent person in the building trade he knew.

"Retail?" Buffy asked, a little weakly.

"And then there's the gallery," Joyce added her own suggestion, "I mean-maybe till you just got an idea of what you really want to do. I mean, I know we could certainly use your help on the crate-opening front," She smiled slightly and Buffy tried to return it, but there were too many ideas being thrown at her and right now, not one of them appealed to her.

* * *

"I understand how this can be an awkward thing to begin," Rita George,marriage councilor, reasoned into the silence that contaminated the room where she was sat facing Joyce and Rupert Giles, "But I'll try to make this as easy as possible and if, at any point you don't feel comfortable about talking on a certain topic, please don't hesitate to tell me" 

The couple both nodded, but neither of them said a word in response. Rita felt that this couple were going to be hard work, but no matter, she liked a challenge.

"Well," Rita began, sitting back in her chair, "Let's start with the obvious question. What brought you here?"

"Him," Joyce said at the same time Giles said, "Her"

Rita raised an eyebrow at them, intrigued by this response.

"What we mean is," Joyce explained, "Is that I booked the appointment with you, but Rupert is the one who gave me cause to"

"What?" Giles asked, looking at his wife incredulously.

"Okay," Rita intervened, before the two could begin arguing, "We won't delve any further into that _just_ yet. Okay, how about for starters we don't focus on what brought you _here_ but what brought you together in the first place"

Giles groaned inwardly. This entire thing was far too...'cheesy' he found himself thinking. He wasn't about to start sharing his feelings in front of some complete and total stranger- it was absurd. His feelings were his feelings and he wasn't going to just broadcast them to the first person with 'Doctor' in front of their name.

"Rupert..." Joyce said warningly, even though he hadn't said a single word, "We agreed we'd try this"

"Pardon?" Rita frowned, "He didn't say anything"

"Precisely my point," Giles nodded in agreement, but Joyce quickly explained.

"I know what he was thinking," Joyce said, turning to look at Giles with a pointed glare as she spoke, "He was thinking of quitting already and leaving"

"How could you have _possibly_ known that?" Giles asked in exasperation, while Rita merely viewed the entire scene with keen interest.

"Well,you were weren't you?" Joyce challenged and Giles sighed.

"Well, of course I bloody was. Joyce, this is r-"

"Now that is interesting," Rita commented and the two cut off to look at her with matching bemused expressions.

"What is?" They asked in synchronization.

"The ability to know what the other is thinking," Rita explained, "It shows a lot about the type of relationship you have." The couple looked at Rita, before looking at each other, neither saying a word yet again. The marriage councilor knew she could really work with this couple, what was more, she really wanted to, if only for the reason that the two were an amusing show to watch. They had even purposely (or perhaps subconsciously-on-purpose as was more likely the case) sat on opposite ends of the sofa they shared, leaving a large gap stretched out between them. Great, Rita thought to herself, a visual aid. She planned to close that gap by the time they came to the end of their series of sessions with her. "Now," Rita said, brining focus once more to the situation, "back to what I was saying. How exactly did you two meet?"

* * *

"And it just kept looping and looping and looping- always with that woman, always with that mummy hand," Buffy finished explaining all the weird occurrences that had happened at all three of the different jobs she'd had so far that day. First the time-going-too-fast thing at college with Tara and Willow, then the demons turning up at the construction site and then, the most terrible of all the terrible things, the mind-numbingly boring time loop at the magic shop. 

"Well, if it's any consolation, the first counseling session Rupert and I had today was a boring time loop as well," Joyce explained as she and Buffy pulled up outside the gallery. Yep, Buffy was at the last of all her last resorts. She just prayed nothing freaky would happen here as well.

"Seriously?" Buffy asked, concerned.

"Well, not really" Joyce admitted as the two got out of the car, "But it felt like it. She just kept asking to go over and over the details of how we first met and then kept reprimanding me for being a little fuzzy on the details. I tried to explain how having been admitted into hospital with a severe neck injury meant I was a little less than merely incoherent. How on earth am I supposed to remember all the details?"

"So you're not going again huh?" Buffy reasoned.

"Oh no," Joyce shook her head firmly, a look of determination in her eyes, "We're going again. If only for the reason that no longer going would mean I lose and Rupert wins"

"You guys have such a mature relationship," Buffy told her with a tone of light-hearted sarcasm and Joyce smiled at her patiently, before going into explain mode on the gallery front.

"Now, I know it isn't exactly what you had in mind when you thought on 'life plans', but it's not too bad is it?" Joyce asked hopefully, "I mean for now anyway?"

Buffy just smiled and in her mind was thinking seriously about returning to the whole original audit-for-the-rest-of-the-semester idea. As long as time stayed at the same rate, it could be pretty good. After all, she never did get to try out Tara's Art Appreciation class.

"So, what're you gonna have me doing?" Buffy asked as they walked in, "I suspect something to do with crate lids for a start," She guessed as they walked into a room that contained several crates of a new delivery.

"Would you mind?" Joyce asked with a wince, "I mean the others are busy with the rest of the collection now so there's no worry...of, well," Joyce shrugged uncomfortably, "awkward questions. And I'll, uh, I'll help- when I'm not needed elsewhere I mean. Of course. But if-"

"It's fine Mom," Buffy assured her, "I'm cool with it. I will you show you why crowbars are a thing of the past when I'm around. Just one question though"

"What?" Joyce asked.

"You don't have any Inca Mummies around here do you?"

"We're an art gallery Buffy, not a museum,"

"Oh good," Buffy nodded with a smile, "Just checking"

* * *

"Okay, target is in sight," Warren announced to Andrew and Jonathon in the van as he hooked their monitors up to the security cameras in the gallery. 

"I can't believe she's at another job," Andrew whined, "I'm tired. Can't she just stay in one place?"

"Just shut up," Warren told him impatiently, "Besides, I think this her last stop"

"What's she doing?" Jonathon asked peering at the screen.

"Opening a load of boxes of...stuff by the looks of it," Warren reasoned as they watched Buffy and her Mom opening each crate, lean inside to see what was in there, before moving onto the next. There wasn't any sound but their lips were moving, so they were obviously having a casual Mother-Daughter chat while they were working. They stopped though, when a tall guy walked in, presumably asking if the 'little ladies' needed any help, if the way the Slayer looked completely affronted before returning to her task with gusto, was anything to go by.

"She is so freakin' hot," Warren commented as he watched Buffy intently as she opened another crate and leaned over to look inside. Joyce was doing the same, both Mother and Daughter apparently refusing the help of the guy- presumably more on principle in Joyce's case rather than ability, "Her Mom's pretty bitchin' too," Warren added and Jonathon nodded in agreement on both counts.

"That guy is so cool- just offering to help like that," Andrew commented with a smile as he watched the unknown Macho Man walk back out of the room. The others looked at him with frowns. "I mean...they're hot, yeah." Andrew added, sounding very much like he was covering his tracks.

"Right fellas," Warren said, rubbing his hands together eagerly, "I think this is a team effort this time. What shall we cook up for the Slayer next?"

As the three watched the scene in front of them flickering on the screen, they each contemplated how they could reek havoc this time in the Slayer's life.

"It'd be best if we could enchant one of those artifacts," Jonathon reasoned.

"Yeah, but what genius?" Warren asked impatiently, "I mean this all pretty useless stuff to curse," He said, squinting at the screen. His eyes suddenly widened, "Whoa, check out the uh 'detail' on that fertility statue."

"That's some detail," Jonathon agreed, eyes just as wide as Warren's.

As their eyes were practically glued to the screen, the three saw Joyce pull out what appeared to be a talisman from the most recent crate.

"Perfect," They agreed in synchronization.

* * *

"Talismans?" Buffy asked her Mother, as she eyed the trinket in Joyce's hands suspiciously, "You know in Sunnydale, that's just _asking_ for trouble right?" 

"It's not a talisman," Joyce insisted, "At least to my knowledge anyway," She added, "It's jewelery. French. Showed someone was of religious importance."

"Religion huh?" Buffy asked, sounding unimpressed, "Just as risky if you ask me. Religion...talismans...always ends in demons attacking the place in hordes"

"It does _not,_" Joyce protested.

"Need I remind you of the last time you said something was just art?" Buffy asked, "It's a pretty mask 'that brightens up the room' you said. Next thing you know- zombie massacre"

"Point taken," Joyce sighed setting the talisman aside and as she and Buffy returned to their respective tasks, neither noticed the talisman glow an eerie yellow for a moment, before returning back to normal.

* * *

Buffy was pretty much bored girl. Okay, maybe not Magic Box boring, but still pretty bored. It was alright here, but the gallery and art section of life was her Mom's thing, not hers. Still, what work she had been set to do was pretty simple and no big evil uglies had attacked, which when compared to the other attempts of the day, had this one rated miles high above the others. 

Still, her real wish had been to go back to college. And if her Mom was honest, it had been hers too. So why should she let some Speedy Gonzales moment, that Giles was researching right now, stop her from returning to school? It shouldn't. That's what.

Buffy stopped walking across the area of the main gallery suddenly when she heard a low growl from just behind her. She spun around and came face to face with a demon that looked like Darth Maul gone even more horribly wrong. If Darth Maul had been blue and yellow. Not wasting a second Buffy hit him upside the head with a doubled fist and the demon stumbled backwards. She kicked him squarely in the chest and he fell into a display, though thankfully nothing fell off the shelves to the ground.

Buffy had barely started walking forward to finish the demon when another one tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around and the demon got the full force of her entire arm across his face and he went careening sidewards.

"Just great," Buffy complained, "You guys don't melt as well do you?"

The demon headed towards her and with an excellent spinning kick she sent him crashing into the wall.

Breathing accelerated from the fight, Buffy looked around the entire gallery and saw she was surrounded by the Darth Maul-esque demons. She took a deep, preparing breath before rushing forward to attack them all, hoping she could take them all on.

She was well into the fight, lost in the moment, for the first time since she'd been brought back. Demons were falling down around her. None of them stood a chance against her.

"Buffy!" She heard her Mom shout and after backhanding another demon, she turned to look at Joyce.

"It's okay Mom, don't worry, I got it!"

"Buffy, no!" Joyce exclaimed, running forward, "Stop that!"

* * *

"Hey, how come it's not worked on her Mom?" Warren asked Jonathon accusingly as he turned away from the screen. 

"I-I don't know," Jonathon replied, clearly nervous under Warren's glare, "Maybe because she handled the talisman before hand. The spell's very tricky- it may have made her immune"

Warren groaned in extreme frustration.

"We can't ever afford to have miscalculations like that!" He shouted at Jonathon, "If we're making these mistakes now, what about the big things?"

"Yeah," Andrew agreed, switching which leg he had crossed, "I mean, you could like...set us on fire...by mistake or something..."

* * *

"Buffy stop it!" Joyce shouted, tugging Buffy away from one of the demons. 

"Mom, what are you doing?" Buffy asked, easily breaking free of the grip.

"What am _I_ doing?" Joyce asked incredulously, "You're the one-"

"Look out!" Buffy shouted, shoving her Mom aside as a demon walked up behind her. Joyce went tumbling into the nearby wall as consequence of Buffy's slightly over-enthusiastic push. She looked over to see Buffy using some of her most lethal Slayer moves. What on Earth was she doing?

As Joyce got up, her eyes fell on the talisman she'd brought out to the front of the gallery moments ago. It was the same talisman Buffy had warned her about. And right now, it was glowing a luminescent and not-at-all-normal yellow.

* * *

"Oh crap, she found it," Warren commented, panic mounting in his voice for the second time that day, as he saw Joyce looking intently at the enchanted talisman. 

"Well, what do we do?" Andrew asked, "I mean- if she finds it and-"

"We don't do anything," Warren said, sounding confident once more, "It's not like she's gonna do anything about it- she's not even gonna know what to do"

* * *

Joyce looked at the glowing talisman and had absolutely no clue in heaven or hell what she should do. So she'd decided guess work was the best way to go and her best guess was to break the talisman- or at least make it stop glowing. 

She picked up the object and looked around for something to break it with. Something heavy preferably and lo and behold, there was a small, yet hefty statue in sight.

Buffy was just about to deliver a death blow to one of the demons she had easily cornered, when there was a flash of yellow white light in her eyes and then suddenly, it was no longer a demon in front of her, but a terrified looking middle-aged man, quivering against the wall.

"Oh god," Buffy breathed in shock, backing away slowly. She looked around and saw all the 'demons' she'd been fighting, were now no more than defeated and terrified innocent human beings. Buffy saw her Mom was also on the floor, not terrified like the others, but she was holding the broken pieces of the talisman in her hand.

* * *

"Damn, she figured it out," Andrew whined, with a little stomp of the foot. 

"It doesn't matter," Warren brushed the concern aside, "Have you seen how freaked it still got the Slayer? She's totally goin' nuts there"

* * *

"Buffy." Joyce got up and ran over to her very confused and lost daughter, just as the sound of police sirens filled the gallery. "Are you okay? What happened?" 

"I don't know..." Buffy looked so lost, "They were...where'd the demons...the people...oh God."

"Who called the police?" Someone asked in the crowd.

"I did," A guy replied, "That girl was going crazy, some of us got seriously hurt"

"She's not crazy and the police _are_ not needed," Joyce insisted harshly, "She's just-"

"Losing control," A woman finished, "She just suddenly started attacking me"

"They looked like demons," Buffy whispered to her Mom, "They _were _demons. With blue and yellow tribal markings and big, nasty,wicked-sharp teeth and...they were. I swear"

"I believe you," Joyce assured her, before looking around in the crowd in concern, and at the door through which two police officers were entering, "I just don't know how I'm going to explain it to everyone else"

* * *

"Well, it was some task," Joyce admitted to Giles later on when he asked how she had cleared things up at the gallery, "But eventually, we convinced the police that there was really no need for them to be there and well...the customers and staff that were on the receiving end of Buffy's wrath were a little harder to convince but-" Joyce sighed in frustration, flopping back on her seat on the sofa, "I don't want to talk about it anymore. It has been a _very_ long day" 

"Even longer for Buffy, I don't doubt," Giles reasoned.

"Where is Buffy anyway?" Joyce asked, suddenly realizing her daughter wasn't in the house.

"Out patrolling, I suspect"

"So, do you have any idea what caused Buffy to have the worst working day of her life?" Joyce asked, referring to the research she knew had been going on at the magic shop all day.

"Not as such, no," Giles admitted, "Dawn found references to-"

"Dawn?" Joyce asked, sitting upright suddenly, "You had Dawn researching?"

"Well, when I picked her up from school, she- well, she wanted to and we were a little short on researchers and-"

"You know I don't like her researching Rupert," Joyce complained, "I don't want her near all those things. It's dangerous"

"I-I know, but...well, she threatened me," Giles defended himself but Joyce looked unimpressed.

"You felt threatened by a fifteen year old girl?" She asked sceptically.

"W-well, yes," Giles admitted, "She said if I didn't allow to research I would be forcing her to learn all she could 'on the streets'"

"And you took her seriously?" Joyce was incredulous, "You _know_ it was an empty threat"

"Well, I chose rather to not that take that chance"

"What chance?" Joyce scoffed, "There was no chance. And if it really came to that, Spike would make sure she didn't go any further with that plan. He'd keep her safe"

"Spike," Now it was Giles' turn to scoff, "You really-"

"Yes, you know how much he helps. I trust him-"

"But he's still a soulless vampire-"

"-and he's proven himself so many times so why-"

"-which is essentially nothing more than a demon, he'd be-"

"-do you never relent-"

"-feeding if it wasn't for that darn chip, for which I am most bloody grateful for"

The two were talking quite loudly over one another now, not even hearing the other's argument any more, when Buffy stumbled in through the front door, cutting them off mid-argument.

"Urngh," She groaned, feeling incredibly sick.

"Oh, Buffy, what happened?" Joyce asked as she and Giles rushed over to help her.

"Kittens!" Buffy exclaimed, "Playing for kittens! Crazy! Though not not not not as weird as the guy...the guy with the skin you know? Skinny guy! Though he wasn't skinny skinny...he just had lots and lots and lots and lots of skin," Buffy giggled slightly, with a bemused frown on her face.

"Buffy, are you _drunk_?" Giles asked incredulously, not believing what he was seeing. Buffy tried to look him directly in the eye to challenge him in response, but she swayed slightly where she stood and failed to maintain eye contact.

"_No_" She insisted firmly, "I am not drunk. I am...sick. Really sick." Covering her mouth she ran up the stairs at high speed, before running into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. The sound of retching could be heard. In gross volume.

Both Giles and Joyce grimaced at the sound, before reluctantly fulfilling their duty and following Buffy up the stairs.

* * *

"Feel better?" Giles asked Buffy as she and Joyce (having held Buffy's hair back in the toilet) returned from the bathroom and walked into Buffy's room, where Giles was sat waiting on the bed.

"For a second there I actually turned completely inside out," Buffy replied, still feeling ill but no longer vomitrocious, "But yeah, better"

"That'll teach you to go out drinking yourself into a stupor" Joyce said sternly, but in a kind way.

"Mom," Buffy whined as she slid down onto the floor, her back resting up against the bed on which Giles and her Mom sat, one on each side of her.

"I know- last thing you need right now is one of Mom's oh-so-helpful guilt trips...but I can't help it. It's my job"

"Plus, I've seen you when you've mixed Kahlua with Pepsi," Buffy responded, "Even when it hasn't been a candy-induced moment"

Joyce truly did not know how to respond to that.

"I'm sorry I didn't find this demon with my research," Giles apologized to Buffy, "I'd liked to have saved you the fight,"

"That's okay," Buffy assured him, craning her neck to look up at him as she said it,"It wasn't much of a fight. I got lucky" She let her head droop forward into her hands and she didn't say anything for a moment as her Mother stroked her hair soothingly, pulling out the strands that had tucked in behind her neck gently. "I'm really screwing up," Buffy finally said, not taking her head out of her hands as she did so.

"Oh honey, why would you even think that?" Joyce asked, still continuing the hair stroking even as Buffy raised her head, "That is not true"

"Not it's not," Giles agreed, "You were being sequentially tested by an unknown demon. I don't see how that's screwing up"

"No it completely is," Buffy argued, "Because I let it set the rules. And even worse, I let all you guys do the same thing! Do this thing, be this way, blah blah!"

"Well, that is an extremely awkward transition to me giving you advice, but I shall give it you anyway," Giles told her, "Go easy on yourself won't you?"

"Yes, Buffy," Joyce agreed, "I know we want you to find your feet again- for your own good- but you don't have to do it all at once- all in a rush"

"It's a steady progress," Giles added, "Just take it one step at a time"

"One step..." Buffy said thoughtfully, clearly thinking over what she had been told. "Thank you," She told the both of them. She lay her head on her Mom's hand where it rested on the bed sheets and with her left hand she reached to hold onto Giles' right- a mixture of reassuring herself that he was still there and letting him know she hadn't forgotten. "You two will always be here right?" She asked.

Giles and Joyce looked at one another a moment, over Buffy's head, before Joyce said:

"O-of course, sweetheart,"

"Good," Buffy replied, "It makes me feel safe, knowing you'll both always be here for me."

The three of them sat there like that together for a little while.


	6. All the Way

Rabidreject- thank you for review, glad you liked the chapter and as for the season 6 finale- you will just have to wait and see. But I will tell you that it won't play out like it did in the original ep.

zigpal- yay, claps! Hehe. And you just want Spike to crash and burn don't you? Haha. Glad you liked the chapter and the closing scene and well...hope you like this too. hehe.

g120- thank you very much for what you said re my inventiveness. A tingle moment. Haha. But yah, Buffy being all slayer on innocents- defintely a trip to therapy land (also known as The Bar...teehee). And glad you liked the ending scene and the little trip of guilt. ;-)

* * *

A/N: This one was more episode centric than I originally intended but it seems to mainly revolve round how the others are seeing the Joyce/Giles ship...and also Anya/Xander. And ooh la la, once more with feeling next. Bear with me on that one. Already got a start on it a couple of weeks ago, but it's all musical and such. Lyric writing's a pain. Like uber.

* * *

"Everything on this table's half off!" Anya announced, skating past the customers, "Including the table!" She was General Retail on wheels, never stopping, not for a moment. She skated over to another group of potential customers, "Buy one eyeball, get the second one free!" 

"Argh, careful me mateys!" Xander, in full pirate regalia, was speaking to some seven year old children, making full use of his Pirate Voice. In his hand he held a jar that contained some ominous Magic Box type contents, "These be fire flies spat out of a volcano off the coast of Kathmandu! Argh!"

"You're not a real pirate," One of the kids, presumably the leader of the pack from his size, said, "Real pirates live on boats and don't look stupid"

Xander laughed nervously for a moment that soon morphed into one that suggested he'd like to throttle that kid. At that moment, Joyce, in full white-toga-Grecian-Goddess attire (she had had a wreath-of-a-headdress to complete the ensemble but that had been discarded within the first five minutes much to Anya's annoyance who had insisted that that had been what made the outfit.) walked past him, heading in the direction of Dawn with apparent purpose. Xander stopped her mid-walk.

"'Ere missy, these swashbucklers be not believing- but am I not a pirate lass? Argh!"

It took a moment for Joyce to actually understand what Xander was asking her, his Pirate Voice throwing her off.

"Oh, uh, yes, yes he is. He's a pirate," Joyce assured the children,leaning down to them, so it seemed as though she was cutting Xander off from the conversation, although he could hear every word, "And a very dangerous one at that. You've got to be very careful around him and," She reduced her voice to a conspiratorial whisper,"watch out for his hook"

"What hook?" Asked the same child who had questioned Xander's piracy.

"This one!" Xander exclaimed holding out the hand that was wearing a fake pirate's hook. The kids screamed and scattered in various directions. Xander merely grinned at the scene, pleased by the outcome.

"Hello! Ahab! A little help please!" Giles called to him from behind a very busy counter.

"Argh! And help ye shall have!" Xander replied, heading over while Joyce resumed heading over to Dawn.

"Thank God," Giles said in relief as Xander started helping with the sales, "It's complete and utter chaos"

"Isn't it always on our Halloweens?" Xander retorted knowingly, "Course the sales might go a little easier if you paid attention to the actual customers"

"Hmm? What?" Giles asked, turning away from what he was looking at to return his attention to Xander.

"Joyce," Xander explained, "Could you tear your eyes away from your wife for just a _sec_? If you like the costume so much tell her _after_ the death crowd has left," A customer looked offended, but Xander was unfazed, "Oh you know it is!" He told her. He was making with the funny, true, but there was one thing Xander had noticed when he saw Giles looking at Joyce- but it wasn't something he was about to bring up. The look hadn't been a 'Hey-Anya-Wanna-Play-Shiver-Me-Timbers' look, but definitely more a wistful one. And he'd seen Joyce returning the same looks when Giles wasn't looking. This could not be good. Dawn had mentioned to him that last week, the couple had started marriage counseling, which if nothing else, showed the two were going through a bit of a rough patch. Xander just hoped it was a rough patch that could easily be smoothed over.

* * *

"Dawn-" Dawn waited expectantly as her Mom went to speak to her (Most likely about keeping away from the Magick books or something to that effect) when Joyce was distracted by the same little girl that Willow was paying attention to, "Aww, aren't you the sweetest?" 

Dawn sighed and resumed what she had been doing. Picking up an appealing gold coin with a dragon design, Dawn knew she'd be hung drawn and quartered if her Mom, or particularly Anya in this case, found out.

* * *

Hectic just didn't aptly describe the store tonight, Buffy thought as she came out of the basement holding the jar of mandrake root that Anya had sent her for. Her meeting with Spike down there had, in all honesty, gotten her flustered. And his offer of patrol had been very appealing- if only to get away from _this_ Retail Hell. However, Buffy also knew the 'rough and tumble' Spike referred to definitely had a double meaning. 

"So much easier when he wanted to kill me..." She murmured, setting the mandrake on the side.

"Go help Giles!" Anya yelled, wheeling past, "Joyce is useless at bagging,"

"I am not!" Buffy heard her Mom yell over the crowd.

"What happened to Xander?" Buffy asked as she walked over to them and saw her Mom trying her hardest to bag as quickly as Giles sold. "I thought he was bagging guy"

"He kept poking me with his hook," Giles told her, "He suggested if it annoyed him so much, I should get someone else on the job. I quickly sent him away to the charmed objects, and he sent Joyce as replacement." Giles looked thoughtful for a moment, "With any luck he'll poke the wrong charmed object and he'll end up in a parallel dimension inhabited by a fifty foot Giles who squashes annoying, teeny pirates. Well, as you can see we've got a ton of bagging," He gestured to Joyce's hopeless efforts, "So if you could start-"

"Actually," Buffy said, "Spike had an idea about patrolling-"

"Again?" Joyce asked, "Buffy, you've been patrolling every night"

"Well, that's generally how patrol works," Buffy told her.

"Still," Giles said, "Halloween is the one night of the year where evil and therefore by consequence, you, get the night off. "

"But about people turning into costumes?" Buffy asked, "Small Irish Fear Demon thingies? Haunted Halloween Parties?"

"Yes,well," Giles agreed, "if anything calamitous is going to happen tonight, history suggests it will happen to us"

"So maybe I should patrol to avoid-" Giles handed her an item a customer had just bought, while her Mother handed her a bag. Buffy sagged, "-and I'm bagging"

* * *

Exhaustion fell extremely short of describing how they all felt. The store was finally and thankfully empty and Dawn was now waving bye to the last customer. 

"Come again!" She called with a happy smile before closing the door and sagging against it, completely de-energized, "In a million years!" She finished.

The entire shop looked like an abandoned battleground and the gang, draped over the floor, tables and chairs, looked as though they'd just fought in the fight of their lives.

"Store go boom," Xander said weakly, "Argh," He made a weak attempt to wield his hooked hand, but it took too much energy for him and his hand dropped down by his side.

"I can't stand for a moment longer," Joyce informed them, flopping down into a seat beside Tara.

"It's the scrap heap for my feet," Willow agreed.

"That was," Anya spoke from behind the counter as she counted the money. She was extremely choked up, "That was the most incredible thing I have ever experienced"

Xander gave her a questioning look- the _most_ incredible thing?

"Well, except for that," She told him, before returning her attention to the others, "What you all did for me tonight. The astounding heaps of money you helped me-"

Giles cleared his throat pointedly and Anya rushed to correct herself.

"_Us _acquire. All I can say is...I hope we make as much tomorrow"

"Tomorrow?" Buffy and Joyce asked in synchronized shock and dread, both now suddenly paying rapt attention to Anya's money ramblings.

"The post holiday clearance" Anya explained excitedly, "The cornerstone of retail"

Her enthusiasm was definitely _not_ contagious and the gang groaned at the mere thought of having to do all this again tomorrow. Joyce smiled weakly at the widely-smiling Anya, trying to look as enthusiastic, but she just couldn't. She slumped at the table, propping her chin up on her fist. Tara looked at her sympathetically, feeling her pain.

"Brooms all around then?" Giles announced, standing up and walking over to the stack of brooms propped up against the wall behind him.

"Or I could whip up a jaunty self-cleaning spell," Willow suggested cheerfully, "It'll be just like Fantasia"

"Yes and we all know how splendidly that turned out for Mickey," Giles agreed sarcastically, handing the redhead a broom which she took.

"I think I'm a little more adept than a cartoon mouse," She grumbled, walking off to start cleaning duty.

"I notice you're not taking part in the cleaning duty," Joyce remarked on the fact Anya was remaining behind the counter.

"Oh no," Anya said enthusiastically, "I have a much more important job; counting the money."

"Ooh, can I help?" Dawn asked, already setting her broom aside and rushing over to the other side of the counter.

"Sure," Anya agreed and promptly started counting notes with Dawn. When she got to a certain number she began to dance. "C'mon- join in!" Anya encouraged the teenager.

"You do this every night?" Dawn asked, giggling as she joined in the dancing.

"After I close out the register," Anya explained, "The dance of capitalist superiority!"

Joyce shook her head with a smile, before returning her attention to clearing up a table that had been demolished presumably by the pirate-hating group of children Xander had been talking to earlier on the day. God, that had only been a few hours ago. It felt like a few years. Several even.

"Hey everybody," Xander called out, drawing Joyce and everyone else's attention, "There's something that Anya and I wanted to tell you"

"Now?" Anya asked Xander in disbelief and Xander nodded.

"Now," He confirmed, talking to her intimately, before looking back at the rest of the group, "We're getting married"

"Oh my God!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Congratulations!" Tara added.

"That's-- with the-- wow...that's wow..." Willow was blown away as was everyone else.

"When, when did this happen?" Joyce asked, assuming it hadn't happened just today, because, seriously, who on Earth had time to propose in _that_ hectic rush?

"Right before..." Xander looked nervously at Buffy, "Right before we fought Glory. I asked her to marry me-"

"-and I said yes," Anya finished, looking as completely smitten with Xander as he was with her.

"That's wonderful," Joyce smiled at the couple genuinely, but her thoughts briefly drifted back to a memory Xander's proposal story had sparked.

_Giles looked around hopelessly at all the texts in front of them all. There must be an answer in one of them, something that they had previously overlooked. He glanced around for a text he had not yet read to death and spotted one on the far side of the coffee table just out of his reach._

"_Joyce," He said seeing she could reach it easily, "would you pass me that book of marriage?"_

_She immediately looked up over at him sharply her eyes widened in shock as everyone else fell into a shocked silence. Even Willow stopped writing as her pen froze on the page and her eyes just stayed focused on her notes._

"_Pardon?" Joyce asked._

"_D-d-do you want to pass me that book of spells? Spells"_

"_That's not what you said," Joyce insisted, acutely aware of the deathly silence in the room as she looked intently at Giles not sure whether she wanted to have heard right or not._

_Willow was looking down at her legal pad as though it would be intrusive to watch the couple, while Xander couldn't have cared less about how much he was staring as he watched the conversation play out in anticipation. Buffy however had stopped pacing in shock when she heard Giles' words and was now stood, gormless, in the middle of the room watching them. Giles cleared his throat._

"_Do you want to uh…?" He gestured at the book in question, indicating for her to pass it to him. She sighed with a slight smile._

"_I do," She said picking up the book and leaning over to hand it to him. As he grabbed a hold of the book she didn't let go and he was forced to look straight at her despite how uncomfortable he felt. "And…I will," She added, smiling. As he took in what she had said and what her words meant he couldn't stop staring at her._

"_W-was that…did, did y-you-" He stuttered unable to form actually words as he continued to stare at her smiling face._

"_Was that a marriage proposal?" Xander asked filling the blanks as he looked around at everyone._

"_An ac-cept-ed marriage proposal!" Buffy exclaimed in utter shock._

How times had changed since then, Joyce thought. So much had happened in just over a year. So much it was ridiculous. She decided not to dwell. Dwelling would only put her in a really bad mood and this was Anya and Xander's engagement and so things should be happy. Would be happy. What they really needed was a party to celebrate. It'd have to be impromptu of course, but Joyce was sure if the whole group got in on it they could throw something together-

* * *

-Or just have everyone over at the house with music, thrown on the CD player by Buffy, playing in the background and Giles on the kitchen search trying to find alcoholic beverages. 

Anya and Xander had remained in their costumes, but Giles had immediately tossed aside the wizard's cloak the moment he got home and Joyce, almost as quickly, had gone upstairs and changed into some a little more normal and American and less crazy and ancient Grecian.

"Where I come from this sort of thing requires much in the way of libation," Giles announced as he returned to the room and he and Buffy handed out drinks to everyone.

"God save the Queen!" Xander agreed readily, holding his drink up in a momentary toast before taking a sip (that threatened to become a gulp)

"Sorry we couldn't do more," Joyce apologized to the newly engaged couple, "It's just with it being, uh, spontaneous there wasn't time to do much else"

"Oh that's okay," Anya assured her with a bright smile "This is just the first premarital celebration. We'll have lots more. With gifts!"

While Joyce, Buffy and Giles looked slightly concerned by this announcement, Tara just laughed.

"Sure," She agreed, "Maybe we'll even have time to decorate for the next one"

"Why wait?" Willow asked, with a smile, "Karzaritate tamae"

Suddenly (As if by magic...?) the living room, foyer and dining room were adorned with Japanese paper lanterns and decorations. Anya beamed while Joyce and Buffy looked around it all very impressed and Willow looked very pleased. Xander hadn't quite been paying attention at the time and when he looked up he started in slight surprise at the sudden change in the house decor.

"This is much better than it usually looks," Anya enthused, "Thank you!"

Tara and Giles didn't say anything but merely shared a very concerned and worried look- was that little bit of fanciful conjuring really necessary?

"Oh, Rupert," Joyce said, grabbing his attention, "About tomorrow, you know-" She cast a wary glance at Anya who had presently started talking to Dawn. She pulled Giles slightly away from her so Anya was definitely out of earshot. "I can't help out...and then we can't help out"

"Sorry?" Giles asked, completely lost.

"Well, I've got to be at the gallery tomorrow morning and then in the afternoon it's our next session with Rita"

"Joyce, tomorrow the store will be just as busy as it was today if Anya's right-- and needless to say she usually is about these sort of things-- and I think perhaps we need to prioritize-"

"Prioritize?" Joyce asked incredulously, cutting him off. She looked at the group in the living room, that was presently absent Tara and Willow, before grabbing a hold of Giles' hand and dragging him into the dining room out of sight and earshot of the others.

* * *

Dawn was wondering what was taking Tara and Willow so long. They'd only gone in the kitchen to refill the chip bowl. Deciding to see what was causing the hold up, Dawn got up out of her seat on the sofa and walked into the foyer in the direction of the kitchen. She stopped though when she heard her Mom and Giles' voices from the dining room. They were stood just out of sight, but now Dawn was no longer in the loud living room, she could hear what they were saying clearly and she didn't like it. 

"Prioritize?" Her Mom was saying, "Are you saying our marriage is not a priority?"

"I didn't say that"

"Then what were you saying?" Joyce asked, "Because I sure as hell don't seem to know anymore"

"All I was _trying_ to say, before you bit my head off, was perhaps we could _reschedule_ the appointment with Rita?"

"Why?" Joyce challenged.

"For the same reason we're having this conversation?" Giles guessed, slightly confused as he thought they at least had the whys cleared up.

"Well, I'm taking time off for work for it, Rupert, so I don't see why you can't"

"Because tomorrow-" Giles began but Joyce talked over him.

"'Because tomorrow is the post-holiday clearance'" She filled in, "I_ know_ but Anya can handle that fine with the others"

"Yes, but as co-proprietor of the shop,I feel my presence would be needed...also, Anya tends to haggle with the customers in a way that borders on harassment," He added as an after thought, but Joyce wasn't relenting.

"You'd just like any excuse to skip out the marriage counseling wouldn't you" Giles was silent in response to Joyce's request and she sighed in frustration mixed with exasperation, "I can't believe this"

Dawn's attention was drawn away from this argument as she heard the sound of another one coming from the kitchen.

"This isn't about me," She heard Tara say and Willow was quick to respond.

"This is _so_ about you. You're always coming down on me for using magic that wouldn't hurt a fly. What's your problem?"

"Willow, I j-just want you to stop and think about what you're doing..."

Dawn walked off, back into the living room, not wanting to hear anymore of the arguing from either couple. It was all too much badness at once. She needed to get out of there, escape for just a little while. Away from all. Thank God she had that night planned with Janice.

* * *

"Xander, you're just all so grown-up," Joyce said later on, slightly teary eyed as she hugged him. Xander didn't respond, but merely took relief in the fact that Buffy was no longer hugging him. Slayer-strong hugs tended to be lethal. 

"I know," He agreed, just as blown away by the next-step-adulthood fact as Joyce.

"Yeah," Buffy agreed as her Mom and Xander broke apart (Joyce then moved on to give Anya a quick hug also), "Doesn't seem that long ago when you had to go to _extreme _measures to get a girl to date you. Money, black mail..."

"And let's not forget love spells gone horribly wrong" Xander added and every woman in the room except Tara and Anya suddenly looked extremely embarrassed and couldn't quite look Xander in the eye. A long since repressed memory brought to the surface once more.

"What? What is it?" Anya asked impatiently, "Why've you all gone weird?"

"Dawn, where are you going?" Joyce asked as she spotted her daughter putting on a jacket. She was extremely relieved that such a distraction had occurred and both Buffy and Willow were now paying full attention to Dawn also.

"I'm spending the night at Janice's remember?" Dawn prompted, before going to head to door once more, "See you tomorrow everyone"

Joyce grabbed her arm, stopping her from making a quick exit.

"What do you mean staying over at Janice's? When did this happen?"

"A couple of weeks ago...?" Dawn tried to trigger a memory for her Mom, but it wasn't happening. "You were kinda busy and such," She explained, "So I kinda asked Giles...and he said it was okay"

"Only if it was okay with your Mother," Giles was quick to add.

"And is it?" Dawn asked Joyce pleadingly and she seemed to relent a little, "Come on- Pleeease!"

"But what about Xander and Anya's party?" Joyce asked, gesturing vaguely at the magically conjured decorations.

"We're good," Xander assured her, "But you'll have to cough up extra gifts at the reception"

"Yes, please!" Anya agreed eagerly.

Joyce seemed to relent a little bit more.

"It's just a couple of blocks," Dawn said, "I'll walk straight there" She smiled appealingly and Joyce sighed.

"Fine, you can go,"

"Yay!" Dawn squealed, giving her Mom a quick hug, before running to the front door. "Bye guys!"

"And don't stay up too late!" Joyce called after her, but Dawn had already closed the door behind her.

* * *

Giles handed Xander another drink as the two of them sat on the stairs. 

"Anya's a lovely former vengeance demon," He told Xander, "I'm sure you'll enjoy many years of non hell dimensional bliss"

"Yep," Xander tightly agreed taking a big gulp of his drink. "The big marriage hullapalooza" He turned to Giles, "How's it treatin' you?"

Now it was Giles' turn to down almost half of his drink.

"Huh," Xander merely said, choosing not to delve any further into that response, "Who knew you and I would ever have anything in common," Xander said wryly.

"Hmm," Giles said thoughtfully, "Well if you need any help sorting through it all- the wedding that is..." He offered, clasping Xander's shoulder warmly for a moment, before getting up off his seat on the stair and walking back into the living room.

* * *

"Help?" Joyce asked weakly, completely exhausted by Anya's enthusiasm. 

"Yes," Anya nodded eagerly, "You know, with the wedding. I mean you've been there before. Twice." Joyce's fixed smile became even weaker, "So I figured, this means twice the insight!" Anya beamed, "See, I was thinking a June wedding-"

"Well, that would be very n-"

"-And then I remembered they always prompted the largest percentage of calls for vengeance," Anya continued, "So now I'm thinking soon as possible"

"Soon as possible?" Xander asked, his smile just as weak as Joyce's as he walked over and sat beside his fiancée.

"You know there's really no need to rush," Joyce assured her, but Anya shook her head adamantly.

"Yes, yes there is. With mortal life being short, we've gotta cram in as much marital bliss before we wither and die"

Xander, Joyce and Giles all finished their drinks (the latest of many) in one gulp, but Anya was oblivious to their reaction though. Tara, however, wasn't, and winced at the group in sympathy. Particularly Xander.

Five minutes and six drinks later, Anya was still rambling about life plans, unknowingly rubbing her happy-happy thoughts in the recently not-so-happy Joyce and Giles and also making Xander hyperventilate. The three of them were very tipsy, bordering on quite drunk, but somehow still managed to form coherent sentences.

"I mean there's so much to plan," Anya gushed, "The wedding, new cars, a house-" She looked at Xander, "A better one I mean," Both Giles and Xander looked offended, "oh and babies! You have to plan for babies or they'll just run roughshod over your entire existence"

"Yeah," Xander agreed, clearly in full hyperventilating mode, "Gotta decide what to call 'em before they go to college"

"'Rupert' is an exceptionally strong name," Giles told them, a little drunkenly, and Xander tried to look as though he was considering the thought, but Anya just bowled right over that.

"Yeah," She agreed sarcastically, "If we want our progeny to eat paste and have their lunch money stolen"

Feeling the alcohol she'd been forced to intake tonight had made her thoughts a little free spoken, Joyce got up and wandered over to where Tara and Willow were sat, before Giles could question her on her opinion of the name 'Rupert'. Buffy seemed to be smoothing things over by comforting Xander on a 'everything's great' front.

"Having fun over their with the Hell Bride?" Willow grinned as Joyce came over.

"Not really," She admitted, sitting down, "I-I have a strong feeling that my helping Anya is going to be me taking orders from Anya"

"You're absolutely right," Willow grinned even wider.

* * *

It was a little later on in the night, Buffy had decided to patrol with Spike and despite protest from parents, surrogate or biological, she had left anyway to check there were no Halloween Vamp Hijinks. Xander, after taking a break outside (and one last alcoholic beverage) had started funking away to the music with a peppy Anya and an equally peppy Willow. Joyce and Tara remained on the sofa, watching the scene in amusement. Anya's enthusiastic moves were particularly crazy. 

Suddenly, the music cut off.

"Hey, we just getting our funk on," Willow said to Giles in complaint, but he had serious face on.

"Janice's Mother just called. Apparently Janice told her _she_ was sleeping _here."_

"What?" Joyce asked, standing up, all happy-go-lucky effects of the wine washing away in an instant.

"Digging into the classics," Xander nodded, "Gotta respect that"

"So we don't know where they are?" Joyce asked.

"No," Giles replied, "I believe I covered that" Pointing out the fact that if neither Mothers knew where the girls were, then no one did.

"Well, this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't said she could go in the first place,"she retorted.

"I-uh-my-" Giles stuttered in shock, "You can't possibly be implying this is _my_ fault?"

"Yes. No. Yes," Joyce really didn't know. She needed someone to blame and Dawn wasn't around to ground and throttle, "We just need to find her"

"At last we agree," Giles commented neutrally. "Xander, Anya- you stay here in case Dawn returns. Willow, Tara- check downtown. Joyce and I will go to Spike's- see if Buffy's there yet"

* * *

"Spike!" Joyce called urgently, rushing into the crypt and looking around, "Spike!" 

"I really wish you wouldn't do that," Giles told her tiredly, "He is a vampire and -"

"A _harmless_ vampire," Joyce corrected.

"Be that as it may to so loudly announce-" Giles began but was cut off by the arrival of Spike.

"Come to wish me Happy Halloween, have you?"

"Have you seen Buffy?" Joyce asked in response, "Or Dawn?" Spike frowned.

"And a happy Halloween to you to," He grumbled, "You know you're gettin' as bad as your daughter for this. Just trouncing in without even asking, just coming for information. Some people would consider that bad manners"

"Spike..." Joyce said impatiently and he sighed as he relented.

"What's the trouble?"

"Dawn has seemingly 'done a number' on us," Giles explained, using Willow's quote even though Spike hadn't been there to hear it. "She lied about her whereabouts-- uh where she was ah going tonight-- and so we need to find Dawn and well, uh, also Buffy"

"Sorry, not seen either," Spike shrugged, "I could go on look-out though," He offered.

"No, no," Giles shook his head, "It's best if you stay here- in case Buffy comes by. Or Dawn for that matter"

"Right," Spike nodded, "I'll tell the Slayer you were looking for her- sister on the lam and all"

* * *

"I just don't think Dawn would hide in a cemetery is all," Joyce protested as she and Giles walked through a graveyard that couldn't possibly get any creepier., "She has _some_ sense" 

"Well, teenage Halloween pranks usually-" Giles broke off as he disappeared out of sight. He'd tripped over a gravestone.

"Oh!" Joyce exclaimed in surprise, before helping him up, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," He said, brushing dust off himself, "Bloody brilliant"

A scream rang out through the cemetery.

"Dawn," Joyce gasped,looking at Giles in panic before the two of them set off in the direction of the scream. They came to find a girl with long brown hair being pressed up to a tree by a vampire, her face obscured by his as he leaned towards her neck, teeth bared. "Dawn!" Joyce exclaimed, running over with Giles.

The vamp turned to see who the human interuptus were, but before he could look Giles smashed the flashlight into his temple and the vampire went tumbling away down the small embankment.

"Dawn? Are you okay?" Joyce asked, heading towards the girl to see it wasn't Dawn, but Janice.

"The guy bit me!" Janice exclaimed, holding her neck, "That jerk bit me!"

"Like you weren't asking for it," The vampire, Zack, said, having got back up and had now headed towards them.

"I'm fairly certain she wasn't," Giles retorted.

"What do you know about it, Grandpa?" Zack asked before completely wailing on Giles, but as he swung round with a brutal punch, Giles caught it in his hand, surprising the vampire.

"Quite a bit actually," Giles replied, before unleashing a flurry of blows and, surprising the vampire, spun round, kicking Zack in the chest. Zack flew back with the impact and landed on a conveniently protruding tree branch.

"Dude, that sucks," Zack complained, shortly before turning into dust.

Giles was quite pleased with himself.

"Very good," Joyce hurriedly and impatiently told him when she saw his expression, "Janice is fine, but she said Dawn is this way" And with that, she'd gone, not wanting to waste one more moment before she could get to her daughter. Giles quickly followed.

* * *

Finally they arrived at the destination, just in time to see a vampire leaning in to bite Dawn seductively. Dawn didn't seem to be doing too well resisting. In fact she wasn't attempting to resist at all. In fact her eyes were closed. Joyce's mouth dropped open in horrified shock at the scene. 

"It'll only hurt for a minute," The vampire was saying.

"I bet you say that to all the girls," Giles interrupted loudly as he and Joyce started walking over.

"What?" The vamp looked confused by this interruption.

"You can get the hell away from my daughter," Joyce ordered and Dawn snapped out of her daze at her Mom's voice.

"Mom, Giles--"

The vampire, Justin, in one swift movement, swung Dawn around, grabbing her by the throat.

"Let her go. Now." Joyce ordered quietly, but her words were clearly heard.

"How about no?" Justin challenged lightly as several car headlights flashed on, blinding Joyce and Giles. Out of each of the cars stepped out couple after couple. All of them vampires. This was a make-out lane alright. One where necking had an entirely different meaning.

As Joyce looked around at how they were clearly surrounded, fear for her life filling her, her eyes fell on Dawn again. But rather than noting the fact that a vamp had her by the throat, she noticed that Dawn was wearing the vampire's jacket and they were right next to a (presumably his) car.

"Oh my god," Joyce exclaimed in shock, "Were you...Dawn were you parking? With a _vampire_?" She sighed in frustration, "I know girls want to be like their big sisters, but this is _ridiculous_"

"I have to say I resent that comment," Buffy said casually, arriving with Spike, the two of them standing on either side of Joyce and Giles, "But I have to agree on the whole 'what were thinking' front. Making out with a vampire?"

"I didn't know he was dead!" Dawn protested.

"Undead," Justin corrected casually.

"Shut up," Dawn urged him not to make a bad situation worse.

"How could you not know?" Buffy asked.

"I just met him!" Dawn told her and now it was Joyce's turn once again to be shocked.

"Oh so you were just making out with a guy you just _met_? Dawn- a little responsibility is all ask. I mean first- you lied to us and both you and Janice played me and her Mother against one another. Second- you lied so you could park with a boy you just met. And third- he's the undead."

"I'm in trouble?" Dawn asked weakly.

"You're already in trouble," Joyce told her, gesturing around at all the vampires surrounding them, before fixing Dawn with a steely glare, "But trust me, when this over and I get you home- you're going to be _so_ much more than grounded"

Dawn suddenly found herself wondering whether getting bit would be so bad.

"Uh...can we fight now?" One of the surrounding vampires, Carl, asked meekly.

"Did anyone come here just to like make out?" Buffy asked in exasperation and a terrified human couple held up their hands in answer. "Aww, that's sweet," Buffy told them, "You run," They did. Buffy turned to Carl, "You scream"

Then the fight broke out, all the vamps charging the four at once.

One of the adult vampires chose to try and take out Buffy first (Foolish boy) and she connected a vicious kick to his face causing him to reel in pain.

"Die Slayer!" He yelled, running toward her again, but she whipped out a stake and it was ashes to Halloween ashes.

"Been there, done that," She told the pile of dust, without emotion. She whirled around to see Giles getting tag teamed by two girl vampires and her Mom having the same treatment from the girls' equally vampiric boyfriends.

"Mom! Giles!" She called out, throwing spare stakes at them, "Catch!" She told them, before returning her attention to the other vampires that were attacking. After all, Spike could only deal with so many at one time. She heard the nice and familiar sound of several vamps being dusted at almost the same time and knew her Mom and Giles had done okay.

"Where'd Dawn go?" Joyce asked worriedly after the vamps were dust.

"I-uh," Giles almost shrugged, "I think-" He pointed in a general direction, before he and Joyce headed that way. So much for 'it's a night off on Halloween'. It never was for them. Never. It just wasn't fair.

* * *

At Slayer central, Buffy had just got off the phone with Tara, saying how everything was okay and Dawn (Who was waiting sullenly in the dining room on Joyce's orders) was back safe, and now Anya and Xander were getting ready to leave. 

"Sorry about how wrong the party went. What with the whole Dawn missage" Buffy apologized.

"Don't worry about it," Xander told her with a smile, "We're just glad Dawn's okay"

"Yes and it gave me time to plan the bridal shower. Where do I order obscenely muscular male strippers?" Anya asked eagerly and Xander gave her a look.

"Ahn..."

"I'm kidding, jeez," She told him, but before she left with him she turned back to Buffy to mouth 'We'll talk'.

Buffy rolled her eyes with a little smile, before closing the door behind them and heading into the kitchen where Joyce was tending to Giles' head wound from where one of the vampires had knocked him down.

"How's the face?" She asked.

"Still ruggedly handsome," He informed her and Buffy smiled, not so much at what he said, but at the fact that her Mom _did_ smile at the comment. An affectionate smile- one that she hadn't seen her wear for a while. Xander thought he was the only one who noticed things around here, but Buffy was finding out that talking less around people meant you got to notice things too sometimes.

Buffy looked back into the dining room to see Dawn fingering Justin's jacket absently. So, she really had fallen for him. Like sister, like...erm... sister. Too bad he hadn't had a soul. Not that _that_ worked out anyway.

"She's taken it pretty badly," Buffy commented, assuming the two of them would know what she was talking about. They did.

"I know," Joyce agreed, "I should probably go talk to her" She sighed a little before heading out of the room to have words with Dawn.

"She's not going to be too hard on her is she?" Buffy asked Giles worriedly.

"I don't know...We can't ignore this sort of behavior you know. Something has to be done before it spins out of control."

"I know," Buffy agreed somberly and somehow, secretly, they both knew that they weren't just talking about Dawn.


	7. Once More With Feeling

zigpal- thank you, thank you (double thanks for review and for claps). Dawn still has major issues thisseason, stealing wise, as well right now she's goin all wiggy because of how her mom and giles are and later on in the season, she'll have attention seeking issues because everyone else's attention will be directed elsewhere ;-). Not saying nothing on the Xander front. Hehe.

rabdireject- Thanks for review, and since you were looking forward to Once More With Feeling, I **really** hope this doesn't disappoint. I'm not the best at musicals...

g120- Thanks for reviewy goodness, and yes, life and death situations do promote a closeness between the two. odd that, haha. Well, I can honestly say that it'll be something way different from life and death crisis that will eventually get the two back together. ;-) And funny you should say how useless the counseling is...because that's what the opening scene's about! Hehe.

* * *

A/N: They ended up with more songs than I intended. They kinda got like their own little musical. Haha. Anyway, I apologize for my badly written songs as I personally think they're terrible (especially since no Christophe Beck music accompanies them), but they get the point across. I'd also like to say sorry in advance for the morning song. It's completely and utterly plagiarized, but I heard it again the other day and the song just seemed to fit the couple.

* * *

Joyce stormed into the house, slamming the door closed behind her, her frustration and anger causing her to cease to care how terrible dramatic the entrance was. A moment later Giles stormed in after her, slamming the door behind himself as well. Both were in a terribly foul mood. Both had just returned from their latest marriage counseling session. It had _not_ gone well. If anything, the attempted trip down memory lane had made things a whole lot worse. 

Upstairs, in her room reading a magazine, Dawn could hear the couple arguing but the two were oblivious to this fact as they turned and faced one another in the hall.

"Well as counseling session go I'd say that one was pretty useless, don't you?" Joyce challenged,thinking back to their meeting with Rita. She had asked that the couple go over the year they had gotten married, the time building up to it and the time after. However, most of that year had involved things like key daughters, hell-gods, mystically caused brain cancer and the death of a child at the hands of a hell-dimensional portal. All of this wasn't really things they could say to a mortal counselor so the couple had been forced to resort to metaphors to explain what had happened. However, as this had meant they were unable to fully express their feelings on the matters, the suppressed and sometimes displaced anger simmering in them both had started to come to a boil. They had both said things that both parties were aware they didn't really mean, but neither would take what they had said back. And now they had returned home, the status of their relationship worse than when they had left the house earlier on. Joyce hated to think it but the clear fact seemed to be that as much as they had needed each other once before so desperately they now couldn't seemed to stand the sight of the one another.

"Well, I did originally say it was a bad idea didn't I?" Giles countered.

"Are you saying this is my fault?"

"No, yes, no, y-yes I am. No," Giles sighed in exasperation not only not knowing what his answer was, but also not knowing what he wanted it to be, "It's just with the lives we lead it's near impossible to benefit fully from a marriage councillor who has never dealt with supernatural occurrences in her life"

"Well, it's better than doing nothing isn't it?" Joyce asked pleadingly as despite how angry he kept making her these past months she still couldn't deny the fact she loved him and she didn't want just let all that go. Giles however stayed silent and didn't answer her question. He seemed to be seriously contemplating the 'nothing' option. She looked at him in disbelief. "You really think it would be better just to throw all this away. Pass it off as a bad turn of events?" He still stood there silently not answering, "After all we've been through." He still didn't answer and it infuriated her, "Say something," She ordered him, desperate to hear his opinion, wondering whether he really did want to forget it all. Shaking his head he went to walk past her toward the kitchen, but instead of saying words a quiet chord played out as he started to sing.

_G: Don't talk about this now_

_It isn't the time or the place_

_For us to face-_

She grabbed his arm, stopping him walking on and he was forced to look at her as she began to sing also.

_J: No, you're not avoiding this somehow_

_We're gonna face it and talk this through_

She saw his reluctant face at the thought of talking anything through. He never used to be like that. He always used to be so willing to take things face on. What had happened?

_J: Or is that no longer a part of you?_

_G: You know it's not you but it seems_

_The distance has grown as the darkness has spread_

_I know I used to know you, but now- where to tread?_

_But it will be fine; we'll pull through_

_You know we always do._

With that assurance he thought they were done talking/singing for now. Or rather he hoped they were so he headed into the living room dejectedly but Joyce followed him with determination and as she carried on singing he faced her again. She didn't seem to believe how he had attempted to smooth things over.

_J: I know better than that, at least give me that respect_

_I've seen it all before, that's what _I've_ left behind._

Now as she looked into his eyes, her expression was as pleading as her tone of her voice.

_J: So now don't pretend everything's fine._

But if he didn't pretend everything was fine then they would both have to face up to the harsh truth. Which was harder? A white lie or a cold truth? He shook his head in exasperation before looking at her again.

_G: I can't say one thing or the other_

_Either way it causes bother_

_Lately I can't seem to do anything right_

_You tell me everything I do or say is wrong_

_Can't we just work together, move on?_

He looked at her sadly and saw her wistful expression matched his own.

_G: I don't want to fight._

Joyce's tone was harshly cynical as she sang in reply, not taking her eyes off him as though proving to him that every word she was speaking was the truth.

_J: I'm sorry, but that's never how it goes._

_Once it starts you follow through with the show._

_And you see-_

_Both: All the things that we're going through_

_G: You know we never used to fight J: I can't believe all we do is fight_

_G: It feels so strange._

_J: When did it change?_

They paused, the rhythm and notes of their song playing along without words to accompany them as they looked at each other closely, their expressions tired. The music seemed to slow it's pace till that all remained was soft chords when Joyce began to sing again.

_J: So we have to face…_

_G: Maybe we need some space…_

_Both: Fight or flight- it's not longer right………_

As they held out the last word the song faded and their voices dispersed into silence as the song ended. They looked at each other uncomfortably for a moment, their feelings temporarily bared to one another, before they left the room in opposite directions.

* * *

"Why don't you just say something?" Joyce asked Giles quietly and impatiently in the Magic Box. After their little singing outburst, Joyce had decided to take a detour to the magic store, before going to gallery, in an attempt to find out what had made them perform their very own Rogers and Hammerstein. However, while Giles had started researching in the books he thought might be of most help to them, he refused to tell the others of the occurrence. 

"I am _not_ telling them that we burst into song"

The bell above the door rang into their conversation and they looked up to see Buffy walk into the store.

"Morning Buffy," Giles greeted her.

"You were still in bed when we left," Joyce said, "Did you find the note?"

"Note? What? Erm, yeah. Note found." Buffy told her distractedly, looking around at the entire group (minus Spike [due to daylight and Dawn [due to school)

"Respect the cruller and tame the donut!" Xander urged as he sat at the table, holding up the items.

"That's still funny sweetie," Anya said, not looking up from the ledgers and not really meaning what she said.

"So...uh no research?" Buffy asked, "Nothing going on? Monsters or what not?"

Joyce went to say something but Giles spoke over her saying 'nothing', his words chorusing in with everyone else's 'no'.

"Good, good," Buffy nodded, not sounding entirely convinced, "So did anybody...last night...did anybody uh, burst into song?"

* * *

After that, everyone had burst into enthusiastic confession- everyone had sang a song, whether a solo act or a duet, on the night previously. Coincidentally, shortly after this discovery, everyone had begun to sing their thoughts and theories on the matter rather than saying them. It had been rather odd- odd bordering on disturbing. They had begun research immediately after Buffy had discovered that it was the whole of Sunnydale that had been effected. Then Joyce had gone to pick up Dawn from school, only to discover the entire establishment in song. She'd dragged Dawn away from the end of a musical maths class, much to Dawn's chagrin. Now Tara and Willow were gone for some 'texts' they had at their room at the university, but if Xander was right then they weren't doing anything to do with research. 

And now Giles was in the back room, alone, looking for the hundredth time through the more dangerous books stored here, knowing that he wasn't going to discover anything helpful, but forcing himself to keep looking them over anyway. It was better than dealing with Dawn's constant chattering distracting him or overhearing Anya rabbit on about wedding plans to Xander. It was also better than Joyce's seemingly purposeful silence.

"Did you mean it when you said...well, sang, that we needed space?" Ah, speak of the devil. Giles turned around to see Joyce stood there in the doorway with a questioning look.

"Pardon?" He asked and she stepped inside the room, shutting the door calmly and quietly behind her so as not to disturb the others.

"Last night, when...you sang, you said that maybe we needed some space"

"Maybe we do," Giles said neutrally, looking at her, "We're arguing more and more lately. The..._counselling_," He seemed to even struggle saying the word, "obviously isn't helping...so maybe time apart will. Allow ourselves time to reassess things?"

"Reassess?" Joyce laughed slightly for a moment, as though not believing what she was hearing, "We're married, Rupert. Do you realize what space translates as in a marriage? A separation. A separation where one of the partners moves out of the house. _That_'s the only way a married couple gets 'space'"

Giles didn't say anything, clearly seriously contemplating this thought and seriously considering it to be a good, strong option.

"How much space are we talking here?" Joyce asked, seeing his expression that he already planned for such a separation.

"I, uh, I keep a, a flat, in Bath-"

"Bath? Bath as in England?" Joyce asked incredulously, cutting him off. She couldn't believe she was hearing this, "As in no longer in this state, this _country_?"

"It'd only be for a little while," He explained calmly, "Enough time for us to have...have our space. Allow us to regain our focus"

"Space usually means across a town Rupert, not across an ocean" She said evenly, getting angry at not just him, but at the entire situation. Is this really where they were headed?

* * *

The next morning, Joyce was in the kitchen and the conversation from the day before in the Magic Box was still playing on her mind. Bath? Did he really need to be that extreme? After her ocean retort, she hadn't said anything else, just walked out of the room, told Dawn they were going home, before walking out of the store with her. 

She knew that the two of them really needed to talk things through (her and Giles...not her and Dawn), but she wasn't even sure what she was supposed to say to start a conversation like that.

As though the Fates were giving her a sudden ultimatum, with terrible (or perfect depending on how you chose to look at it) timing, Giles walked into the room. Neither of them said a good morning to one another. They used to kiss one another good morning, now there wasn't even a simple hello. They evidently both had yesterday's conversation on their mind.

_J: A fine romance with no kisses._

She was singing with a clearly frustrated and sarcastic tone, but Giles paid her no heed, apparently not even hearing her.

_J: A fine romance, Rupert, this is._

Yes, that got his attention.

_J: We used to be like a couple of hot tomatoes_

_But now we're as cold as yesterday's mashed potatoes._

Giles went to protest, but walking over to him, Joyce cut him off.

_J:You're calmer than the seals in the Arctic ocean._

_At least _they _flap their fins to express emotion._

_A fine romance- it's all quarrels._

_We'd be firing petty insults if not for morals._

_Now, you're just as hard to land as the Ile de France._

_I feel like we never got a chance._

_Well great-_

Joyce rolled her eyes, before finishing in a completely sarcastic voice-

_This is a fine romance._

Now Giles, having been interrupted moments before, found it was his turn to sing his piece of the song.

_G: A fine romance, with no kisses._

He echoed Joyce's line from before.

_G: A fine romance, Joyce, this is_

_True love should have the thrills that a healthy crime has_

_We did._

_But now we don't have half the thrills that The March of Time has._

_A fine romance with no clinches_

_A fine romance with no pinches_

_We fight and then you refuse to give me a glance_

_I think we've had our chance_

_The end of a fine romance._

Silence fell on them both as the song abruptly ended. There was something about singing all your emotions randomly for all to hear that made you feel uncomfortable afterwards. The words they'd sang played on their minds almost immediately after the final note had played.

"So?" Giles asked and Joyce frowned.

"'So'?"

"Have you given any further thought to my returning to England. For only a time...o-of course"

"Of course," Joyce agreed with tight sincerity. She looked Giles directly in the eye, "What do you want me to say Rupert? 'Go on, off you go to jolly England'?"

"I-if you agree that's for the best then yes-"

"No, you don't think it's for the best," She told him, "You think it's an escape route. An escape from having to deal with this problem head-on. And yes, it is" She sighed, closing her eyes in frustration, before looking at him, "You know what? I've heard enough of it all from you. You want to run away from this? Fine, I won't stop you. Do what you like" She walked out of the kitchen, not even looking at him and a few moments later, she heard him head out for the Magic Box.

* * *

She wasn't going to leave it like that. She couldn't. Man, he had annoyed her so much. How could he remain so calm? As though none of this affected him for crying out loud? And going to _England_? That wasn't 'space'. That was an entire ocean apart. It wasn't space; it was just a nicer way of saying 'divorce'. She had walked out (trying to emanate the same annoying calm about the situation that he had perfected) too early to hear his full explanation both times though, no matter how pathetic it might be, so she was determined to hear it now. 

Pushing the door of the Magic Box open she heard the familiar jingle of the wind chimes above the door and as she closed it she looked around the familiar faces for the person she was looking for. Buffy and Willow were near the door, but Giles and Tara were stood in the middle of the store. Joyce headed over.

"I need to talk to you,"

"I thought you'd heard all you wanted to from me," Giles challenged referring to her exit from earlier on. Joyce just looked at him evenly not saying a word.

"Not here. I'm not talking here," She finally said, aware that the others were all in the store as well and she headed into the back training room. Giles followed.

Once they were stood in the room, there was a moment of silence as the two of them just looked down at their feet, unsure of what to say.

"It really hurt what you said before, you know," Joyce finally said looking up at him and he met her gaze.

"I'm sorry if-"

"Do you really mean to just _leave_?" She interrupted his apologies. The question had been intended to sound challenging, in control, but there was an unintentional plea to it.

"All we do lately is keep hurting each other," Giles acknowledged sadly and Joyce couldn't really argue the point, "And I think it would be better to be apart missing each other than together causing each other pain"

The answer was profound all right, touching even, but it wasn't really an answer. He hadn't said 'yes I want to go and I intend to'. She wanted a straight answer, she _needed_ a straight answer, so why would he never give that to her? Feeling the pain of the situation building it seemed no surprise to either of them when they began to sing.

_J: You get me so mad- your uptight British ways_

_I no longer even know what you're trying to say_

_G: I'm just trying to save-_

Joyce felt the tears pricking at her eyes, but she interrupted Giles' line angrily, knowing he was just going to come out with another 'this is for your benefit' lines.

_J: Well, don't hold back what you feel- just say it._

_Stand up and be the man_

_You used to be._

_So just say it straight out loud_

_Because I'm trying to understand_

_What this all means._

_G: Even though leaving may seem an escape_

_It's really because I care._

Joyce scoffed and rolled her eyes and turned away from him, not believing a word he was saying.

_G: If I stay any longer I'm afraid _

_The love we have will disappear._

Joyce knew what he was saying, she really did. Lately, sometimes she felt the more time she spent with him the more she forgot why they were both there in the first place. But you couldn't just bail on it- and that was what he was trying to do no matter how he sang or said it, going to England was bailing. She walked over to him, so they were directly face-to-face.

_J: Okay, so we have to work it, I know_

_But I love you too much to just let you walk away_

He looked into her eyes, silently trying to tell her that he really didn't want to leave. He was only doing so, because he thought it was what she really wanted. All he seemed to do was annoy her lately, cause her to get angry. But if she gave the slightest…he'd stay.

_G: Then stop me- it's as simple as that._

Joyce stood her ground, near to him, but looked down away from him so she didn't have to meet his eyes as she sang the next words.

_J: No it's not- you know that fact._

_G: Yes it is, just ask me to stay…_

As the song faded out the two of them stood there in silence. Giles waited for an answer to his question, then he realized sadly that Joyce didn't have one. She didn't seem to know whether she wanted him to stay or not as she rushed out of the training room, unable to face the situation.

He morosely headed back into the main part of the store as well just in time to see Spike walk through the door, a weird looking person-thing in his hand.

"Looky, looky what I found," He announced.

"Is this the demon guy?" Tara asked as Joyce and Giles headed over to the rest of the group.

"Works for him," Spike told her, "Has a nice little story for the slayer, don't you? Come on then, sing," He ordered shoving the creature in front of the rest of the group.

Everyone could hear the music begin to swell dramatically in time for the creature to sing, but instead all he spoke were toneless, rushed words.

"My master has the slayer's sister hostage at the Bronze, because she summoned him and at midnight he's going to take her to the Underworld to be his queen"

"Oh my god- Dawn," Joyce said, putting a hand to her mouth, instantly feeling guilty, "I only, I only left her for a bit. To come here. I thought she'd be- oh god,"

Instinctively Giles put his arms around her to comfort her and she didn't shrug him away. That had to be something he thought, but was it enough?

"What does he want?" Giles asked the demon, arms still around Joyce.

"Her," the demon pointed out Buffy and she sighed as though that was what she had been expecting all along.

"If that's all you've got to say then-" Spike scoffed, going to grab the minion and throw him out, but the creature broke free of the grasp and ran out the door, "Strong. Some day he'll be a real boy"

"So," Buffy stated, sounding unmoved by the entire situation, "Dawn's in trouble. Must be Tuesday," After a heavy resigned sigh she turned around to the rest of the group, "So what's the plan?"

"Plan, schman," Xander scoffed, "Let's mount up"

"No," Giles ordered, blocking Xander's way.

"Uh, Dawn may have had the wrong idea in summoning this creature," Anya spoke up, "But I've seen some of these underworld child bride deals and they never end well," She looked at Xander with a shrug, "Well, maybe once"

"You're not suggesting we just _stay_ here," Joyce said incredulously, pulling away from his embrace coldly as she looked at him.

"Yes we are," He said to all of them, "Buffy's going alone,"

"Don't be a stupid git!" Spike snorted, "There is no-"

"Spike if I want your opinion," Giles cut him off and then seemed to reconsider his choice of words, "I'll never want your opinion Spike"

"A little confusion spell could-" Willow began but Tara cut her off.

"No!" Realizing how loud and hard her tone had been, Tara resumed her soft composure, "I mean…I don't think it would help"

"Look forget them slayer," Spike told her, "I got your back"

Buffy turned to face him angrily.

"I thought you wanted me to stay away from you, isn't that what you sang?"

"Did Spike sing a widdle song?" Xander taunted.

"Would you say it was a breakaway pop hit or more of a book number?" Anya asked curiously and despite how desperate the situation was Joyce found herself smiling a little.

"Fine," Spike said coldly to Buffy, "I hope you dance till you burn. You and the little bit" And with that he stormed out.

"I'm not just gonna let Buffy go on her own," Joyce spoke directly to Giles, but obviously the rest of the group could hear, "It's both of my daughters. You can't just make me stay."

Instead of Giles answering, it was Buffy and Joyce turned to her in surprise.

"Mom, you couldn't protect me, the _slayer,_ how can you even hope to think that you could help Dawn?" Everyone fell into a deathly silence at Buffy's cold words and Joyce looked visibly heartbroken.

"I tried…I tried to…." Joyce tried to defend herself but found she couldn't.

Buffy didn't even try to comfort her Mother as she turned to Giles.

"You're really not coming?"

"It's up to you Buffy," He told her and Joyce began to think that recently he was leaving everything up to everyone else.

"What do you expect me to do?" Buffy asked desperately.

"Your best," was all Giles said in answer and silently, Buffy turned on her heel and left. As soon as she was gone Joyce turned on Giles.

"What the hell's the matter with you? Dawn's in trouble and you won't even let us help. Buffy can't do this alone,"

"Buffy is the slayer, she is quite capable of dealing with this situation."

"That's all this is isn't it? A test for the slayer. Not Buffy. The slayer"

Giles kept his voice calm and neutral as he spoke.

"She is the slayer and she needs to reassume those-"

The rest of the group instantly flinched and looked away as Joyce unexpectedly slapped Giles across the face. He hadn't flinched though, as though he had expected that would happen.

The others though didn't like this at all- it made everyone uncomfortable and the atmosphere awkward. Xander had known for a fact that the couple had been having some troubles lately, it was understandable- with the return of Buffy everyone was- but he'd never seen them really argue and fight in front of any of them before and it brought a cold, harsh reality to the situation.

"She was _dead_ Rupert!" Joyce exclaimed angrily, "You can't just expect her to-"

"If she stays as cold and detached as she has been Joyce, she might as well have stayed dead," This time when she went to slap him he caught her wrist easily, before it made contact, "And on some level you know that"

She struggled away from his grip on her wrist but he wouldn't let go.

"Get off me," She ordered, tugging again, but his grip wouldn't loosen.

"You think _I'm_ running away Joyce?" He asked, his hand still holding tightly onto her wrist and she still tugged against him, "But this is just the same. I know it's hard but you have to face up to the fact that Buffy isn't the same"

"I know that!" Joyce shouted at him and suddenly her attempts to break of his grip stopped as she sagged helplessly, "I know that," She repeated more quietly, "But that's why we can't just leave her to fight this thing alone,"

"No that's exactly why we _have_ to let her,"

"But what if it doesn't work?" Joyce challenged.

Without out any warning of introductory notes, Giles sang his next answer

_G: Will this do a thing to change her?_

_Am I leaving Dawn in danger?_

_Is my slayer too far gone to care?_

Xander stepped forward, the argument over and song began, he no longer felt he had to keep a respective distance from the couple.

_X: What if Buffy can't defeat it?_

_A: Beady-eyes is right we're needed._

Anya glanced around at Tara and Willow glaring at each other and at Giles and Joyce who seemed to be doing the same glaring thing.

_A: Or we could just sit around and glare._

As they all began to walk out of the store they all began to sing together

_We'll see it through_

_It's what we're always here to do_

_So we will walk through the fire._

* * *

They had all arrived at the Bronze with Buffy already mid-song, which had ended in the most shocking and heart-wrenching revelation any of them had ever faced. When Buffy had died she hadn't been in some rotten hell dimension. She had been in heaven. And her friends had ripped her out of there. 

The demon that had caused them all to burst into song had told them that they had beaten the bad guy and that they had won. But had they really? With everything that they had found out it was a debatable statement.

And now as they sang what appeared to be the last song only Buffy and Spike had been able to break free of the chorus and had ran outside mere seconds before. The rest of the group seemed destined to sing the song to the end.

_We can tell the end is near_

_Where do we go from here?_

_Where do we go from here?_

_Where do we go from here……?_

The song finished and everyone was left in stunned silence as they all looked at each other, all of them going over Buffy's words. _I think I was in heaven_.

"Well, I guess you were right," Joyce spoke to Giles quietly, but her words were audible in the silence.

"What?"

"She would be better off dead," The statement wasn't self-pitying or bitter- it was just a simple statement. Buffy had been happier before she had been brought back to life.

"Oh god," Xander whispered unable to contemplate it all, "What did we do?"

"We didn't know…" Willow's voice nearly broke as she shook her head, not believing what they had all done. What she had done, "We were just…we couldn't have known…"

"You didn't think Willow," Giles told her. His voice was even and calm but everyone could hear the anger in it, "I told you time and time again that Magick was dangerous, that you had to be careful. Some things _aren't_ meant to be meddled with. But you went ahead and meddled anyway and now…"

"And now Buffy's suffering for it," Joyce finished, looking down at the ground in front of her, but she didn't seem to be really seeing it. She finally raised her head to look over at Willow, "How could you do this? How could not have made sure?"

Willow was hurt by the accusatory tone to Joyce's words. Willow looked down ashamed, unable to defend herself.

"It could have been either way," Xander defended his friend, "Heaven or hell…. she could have been in hell forever for all we knew. We made the decision to not take that chance. I know that considering-"

"Just go," Joyce whispered interrupting Xander's defence and he looked at her silently as did the rest , so she repeated her words, "Just leave." They still stood there, "Go!" She told them loudly, not quite shouting, but loud enough. And with that the group silently walked out. Dawn went to stay with her Mom but Tara kindly put an arm around her and led her out too. Giles didn't know whether Joyce wanted him to leave also, but he decided he would stay for the moment. She didn't seem well enough to be left on her own anyway.

"When are you going to go?" Joyce asked and she saw him jump at her cold words. She knew the question was harsh and unfeeling, but she was feeling so mad at everything and she had nothing specific to be angry at. So she was aiming it at him. It was displaced anger she knew, but she'd gone past caring.

"I never said I was going to go," He admitted, "It was a suggestion…nothing had been decided," he was waiting for her opinion, waiting for her as always.

"Decide then," She ordered him and he sighed. He thought the song they had all sung together just now had been the last song as the demon was now gone, but apparently there was still some verses left to sing.

_G: If you want me to leave now then all you have to do is say it._

_J: But I don't even know if you want to stay- you never show it._

She turned away from him at those words and he took one step forward towards her as he continued to sing. The mile distance between them closing slightly.

_G: What have we started?_

Joyce shrugged before turning to look at him and answering honestly.

_J: I know I'm so far in this time_

_That if you hurt me now I may never love again_

She paused as though unsure whether she wanted to sing the next line, knowing it would sound so much like a desperate plea.

_J: So please don't break this heart of mine._

_G[Descant All you have to do is say it_

_J: Can't you see I'm under your spell?_

She took a step forward also.

_J: But we don't even know where our story will end_

_Is it even for us to tell?_

They both stepped closer to one another, but at the last minute Joyce realized they were becoming too close together and she stepped away, turning her back to him as she continued to sing.

_J: I know what love is capable of the pain it can cause_

_But there I went again_

_and as Buffy was stripped from heaven…_

_This can't be hell._

_G: Some might say there is no sun without the rain._

_J: Some might say nothing given, nothing gained._

Giles walked over to her and around so she was facing him again.

_G: I've become so very fond of having you near_

_J[Descant Why can't you just show it?_

_G: As fond as I am of breathing in air_

_So how can I ever live without you?_

They were both stood incredibly close to each other now and Joyce found she didn't want to step away. As she breathed in his smell and felt his warm breath on her, she closed her eyes thinking of simpler times of three years ago, even just one.

_J: I remember how I felt the first time we kissed._

Giles nodded in agreement, remembering that night as well.

_Both: You made me live, not simply exist._

The music had slowed down to a naturally romantic pace without them even noticing.

_G: So once again, take down the walls let me in._

She stepped even closer now so there was no distance left and she let herself rest her head on his chest as they swayed to the magically created music.

_J: I know this can't simply be the end of everything_

_And all I have to do is say…_

_G: Take us back to that place._

Joyce lifted her head to look up at him with a wistful smile

_J: But there are still some things we have to face_

_G: But even half of your love is enough to make me-_

_Both: Stay………_

_

* * *

_


	8. Tabula Rasa

Jason Barnett- Erm, I'm going to say nothin in reply to that review except that I'm sensing you have some major issues with season 6...

zigpal-ooh yay! A standing ovation. teehee. And yes Joyce is going to be wicked ticked, hehe, but you'll see more of that in the later chapters. thanks for the review.

rabidreject- thanks for review, glad you liked it. And thanks for saying the songs were cute and not...well, crap. haha.

* * *

It was an oddly formal scene. Giles and Joyce were sat at the dining room table, sat at adjacent seats to one another. 

"So, we both agree that our problems are far from solved," Joyce said into the formal silence, taking a deep breath before she did so.

"Y-yes," Giles nodded.

"I mean just because we sang a few songs, no matter how well sung," She added with a pointed look, "It doesn't just make everything go away"

"No, quite right," Giles agreed again, "But where, exactly, does that leave us?"

Neither had an answer until Joyce finally spoke up.

"Needing space?" She proposed. There it was, out there. Laid out on the table so to speak.

There was silence again as the two contemplated the full meaning of those words.

"What sor-"

"The space in England," Joyce told him before he could even finish his question. She forced herself to smile and focus on the positive, "I mean you'd be able to catch up with friends from there. Ones you haven't seen for years- and we'd definitely have space. But."

"But?" Giles asked.

"But Buffy," Joyce told him, "After everything, with everything we've," She sighed, struggling to say what she was trying to , "After what happened, I don't think it would be right for you to just leave. I mean, she needs you as much as she needs a Watcher right now"

"It wouldn't be permanent though," Giles reasoned, "I would come back"

It was on the tip of Joyce's tongue to ask 'would you though?', but she refrained. Instead, she merely settled for saying-

"True"

"So it's settled then," Giles concluded.

"I guess it is," Joyce nodded in quiet agreement, "When will you...?"

"As soon as possible, I suppose," He answered, "I believe it's for the best"

"Right," Joyce forced another small smile, before looking down at her lap, not looking him in the eye.

"Mom!" Dawn called down loudly from upstairs, completely interrupting the moment, "When's dinner ready?!"

Joyce sighed, clearing restraining her frustration at Dawn's interruption.

"_Soon_, Dawn," She called back up.

* * *

"England?" Buffy asked in disbelief. They were in the training room at the Magic Box, while the rest of the group were waiting in the main part of the store. Giles and Joyce had both decided that they wished to tell Buffy of Giles' move, before anyone else. 

"Yes, Buffy," Giles confirmed.

"How can you? Giles, after- after everything that's happened. I need you, I need you here. Please"

"Buffy, I understand how you must feel-"

"No, no you don't," Buffy told him, close to tears, "You can't possibly understand. It's messed up, everything's messed up- I can't do this without you"

"Yes, you can," Giles told her confidently, "Besides which it won't be for too long and your Mother's here of course," He added nodding at Joyce and Buffy seemed to only just remember that she was there also.

"Why are you making him go?" She asked her Mother angrily.

"I'm not making him _do_ anything," Joyce told her calmly, "We both came to this agreement-"

"Yeah," Buffy laughed, but sounded anything but amused, "You both 'decided'. Mom, how could you do this again?"

"Do what- Buffy, what-"

"_This!"_ Buffy exclaimed, "What about Dawn? How do you think she's gonna feel? She wouldn't get out of bed for weeks when you divorced Dad! How can you do this all over again?"

"Buffy, I'm sorry if it seems as though, as though," Joyce faltered with a sigh, unable to express what she wanted to say, "Buffy,you know I, we, don't mean to cause...to make anything worse for you than it already-"

"But you are though," Buffy countered, cutting off, causing Joyce to look down into her lap, unable to look Buffy in the eye. "You two...how can you be so selfish? Don't you realize this effects everyone?"

"Y-yes," Giles told her, wavering a little under Buffy's hurt glare, "But we still believe this is the right thing to do"

"You're wrong," Buffy said firmly, "You're both wrong," Tears glistened in Buffy's eyes as she spoke, "You said you'd always be here"

"I am," Giles told her, "We are"

"No, no you're not," Buffy denied "This isn't time apart. Well it is...but then next it'll be trans-Atlantic divorce and you'll be off in jolly old England riding red double decker buses or whatever the hell it is you do there"

"Buffy-"

"When are you going?" She asked straight-forwardly, anger and hurt in her voice.

"Well, I've...uh, I've already bought the ticket," He admitted and Buffy shook her head in disbelief.

"That eager to get away from us all are you?"

"No, of course-"

"Whatever," She cut him off, before turning on her heel and storming out of the training room.

* * *

"So what do we got?" Dawn asked as everyone was gathered in the store. Dawn was leaning against the book case that was adjacent to the round table at which was sat her Mom and Giles and Tara. Buffy was perched on the ladder that led to the second floor and Anya was leant casually on the glass counter. 

"Sorry?" Giles asked, confused.

"What kind of oogly-booglies?" Dawn elaborated, "Lizardy types? Or zombies or vampires or what?"

"Dawn,it's...this isn't about anything like that," Joyce told her.

"It isn't?" Now it was Dawn's turn to be confused.

"No,"

Just then, the shop door opened and Willow and Xander walked in. Xander was jacketless and looked slightly chilled, but Will looked decidedly warm in Xander's green letterman-type jacket with Harris written on the front.

"Thanks, it's cold out there," Willow was telling him.

"Not a problem," Xander told her, although he was shivering as he did so, "The cold only makes me stronger and more macho-like"

"Right, I'm glad you're all here," Giles told them, "You see, ah, Joyce and I, have uh something we, uh, we need to tell you"

"I'm gonna guess from the fine tragedy masks you're sporting that it's not something good," Xander guessed.

"No," Joyce confirmed, "You see, as, well, as you might know, recently Rupert and i-"

"Why don't you just jump to the chase?" Buffy asked, cutting her off as she stepped off the ladder. There were angry tears in her eyes, "Tell them that you're-"

Now Buffy was cut off as a slightly smoldering figure burst in through the shop door, slamming it behind him. A moment later he stood up straight as though that were nothing out of the ordinary. It was Spike, but not Spike as everyone knew him. He was wearing a tweedy, brown suit with a terrible matching hat that had, gasp, little ear flaps.

"Spike?" Giles asked, more surprised by his presence there at all than confused at what he was wearing. Joyce, however, was just confused

"Spike, wh...what are you wearing?"

"I uh, this?" Spike said, looking down at his ensemble, "A cover. Disguise and all that. Listen, I need you to give me asylum"

"I'll say," Xander readily agreed, looking at Spike's outfit with an expression that clearly said 'what the f-'

"No need to get cute," Spike told him as he hopped up on the counter next to where Xander was stood, and he took off his cap, ruffling his hair to get rid of the hat-hair effect."It's just a disguise. Thrift-shop number. Happens there's a bloke I'd rather not see just now," He looked over at Buffy, "I believe you've met him. The toothy bloke with the baby seal breath?"

Buffy didn't even respond. Just looked at Spike evenly.

"Alright then," Giles said, "If we've recovered from Spike's sartorial humor..I,we will jump. To the chase."

"Rupert's going back to England," Joyce told them all, "Not forever, but...but for a while at least"

"Just long enough for us to ah, re-evaluate where," He faltered, wondering how to phrase his words, "Just to give us space to see where we, uh, are in this relationship"

"England?" Xander asked, "Things are..." Xander almost seemed to gulp, "Things are that bad between you two?"

The couple didn't answer, which was enough answer for Xander.

"Mom...Giles...you..you c-can't," Dawn told them, so very close to tears.

"Dawn," Joyce said, "I'm so s-"

"I-I can't do this," Buffy suddenly said, walking past them all in the direction of the exit, "I gotta- you guys..."

Willow headed towards her, putting a hand on her which stopped her storming out for a moment.

"Buffy, I...listen, I know this must be awful for you. And I'm sorry, so sorry for what we put you-"

"I'm sorry, everyone's sorry," Buffy said sarcastically, cutting Willow off mid-apology as, after everything, she finally snapped, "And I know you're-" She looked at her Mom and Giles, "Most of you are trying to help me, but it's all too much Will. The memories, they hurt. It's just, it's too much. If you understood how it felt, how it feels now...It's like I'm dying in-" Suddenly Buffy's eyes closed as she fainted and fell to the floor.

"Buffy," Joyce gasped, but barely had time to worry, before she felt blackness enveloping her and she fell down too.

* * *

He had his arms around something. He wasn't sure what though. He could also smell apples. No, not apples. A woman's perfume. He opened his eyes, only now registering that he had had them closed, and saw that he was resting at a table and a woman (the wearer of the apple-y perfume he surmised) resting on him. She was still asleep on his chest and he had his arms wrapped around her. So he must know her. So why couldn't he remember her name? Come to think of it, why couldn't he remember his own? 

The woman stirred, her eyes fluttering open and she looked around in confusion a moment, before registering that she was lay on someone. She started a bit, before sitting up a little to look at him. Her brown eyes widened beyond belief at the sight, before sitting up completely so she was no longer lay on him at all.

"Are you okay?" He asked her and she seemed to relax a little at the question but not much.

Was she okay? She really didn't know. There were a lot of things she didn't know. Like her name, her age, where she was, why she was asleep on this man, who the hell this man was. Not that she was complaining about waking up next to him, quite the contrary. She looked at the man. She'd guess he was middle-aged, and it wasn't a guess when she concluded he was very attractive. She found herself thinking that good-looking didn't quite cover it. Green eyes looked at her questioningly and she realized she still hadn't told him whether she was okay or not.

"I...uh, I think so. I don't know actually," She decided to just ask, "Erm, who _are_ you?"

"Who am I? Well, I..uh, well you were the one asleep on my chest. Shouldn't you know?"

She found that the sound of his voice was very much a turn on- so she _must_ know him right? Or maybe she just had a thing for British accents. She decided not to focus on the fact that she could recognize accents but didn't even know her own name.

"Uh, no," She replied, "And I-uh-"

"Don't know who you are either?"The man finished and she nodded. "Well, this is decidedly frustrating"

The two looked around and saw they were not alone in what looked to be a shop.

"Argh!" A high pitched scream drew their attention as a man in what looked to be a brown suit fell off the counter where he had been asleep. A blond woman who had been asleep next to the checkout, got up with a start at the sound of the scream, before walking around the counter to help the man up.

There was another couple near the counter, just waking up themselves. One had dark hair and eyes that were just as dark, no older than early twenties and the other was a red-haired woman of the same age.

Also sat at the table was dark blond haired-girl curled up in her chair. When she awoke and saw where she was she looked more embarrassed than confused.

A brunette crouched against a bookcase screamed an even more high-pitched scream than Brown-Suit Guy.

"Wh-who are you people?" She asked nervously and a petite, long-haired blond who had been at the front of the store walked over to her and knelt beside her.

"Hey don't worry," The blond told her but the young brunette was unconvinced.

"Don't hurt me," She begged.

"It's okay," The blond assured her, "I don't know anyone here either"

It seemed no one did. Every single person in the shop shared the same look of complete and utter confusion.

"Okay, who are you freaks?" The dark haired boy asked in pure panic and her attention was drawn away from the two young girls near the bookcase.

"You don't know me?" The red-head asked.

The two soon got into a half-argument over who should know who.

"It's not just you," The man with the British accent and green eyes said, bringing the argument to a halt, "Does anybody remember anything?" He looked around at everyone as he asked the question and felt he already knew the answer. They all looked so confused. The blond who had woken up on his chest didn't looked confused in a panicked way so much as amusingly bemused, as though she were privately trying to come up with a logical explanation for it all. She was evidently failing and she sat down in a seat in deeper thought and confusion.

"No," The bleached blond in the brown suit said from behind the counter.

"Well, perhaps we all got terribly drunk and this is some form of a black out,"

"I-I don't think I drink," The young brunette near the bookcase said.

"And isn't this an odd place to get drunk?" The curly-haired blond reasoned, looking around at their environment.

"Yes, good point," He agreed just as the dark haired boy went into complete panic mode.

"Okay, I'm not panicking, I'm not, I'm not. Stop looking at me like I'm panicking!"

"Take it easy guy," The blond from the front of the store told him, "No one's hurt right? And none of us look hatchet murder-y, so we're probably safe. Here. Where ever here is..."

"Look at the things on these shelves," The red-head said, looking around at the store, "Weird stuff in weird jars and weird books with weird covers like...'magic for beginners'," She looked around at everyone, pleased with the discovery, "Ooh"

"A magic shop," The dark blond who'd woken up curled in a chair, said in awe, "This is a real magic shop"

"Maybe that's it," Front-of-the-store blond reasoned, "maybe something magic happened to us"

"Magic?" The green-eyed man scoffed, "Magic is all balderdash and chicanery. I'm afraid we don't know a blood thing," He paused in thought, "Except I seem to British don't I?" He took off his glasses a moment before putting them back on again, "And a man. With glasses. Well that narrows it down considerably"

"For you maybe, if you can call that narrowing down anyway," The blond who'd woken up on him said, "I mean there's no mirrors in here and...well, I don't know about anyone else but I don't even remember what I look like." As if to prove this point, she glanced down at her self, before trying to look at her own hair. In his point of view, she looked endearingly child-like as she did so. He wanted to tell her that while she didn't know what she looked like, in his opinion she looked very attractive. But he immediately viewed that to be an inappropriate thing to say to a woman he didn't know. Then, of course he may know her very well...he just didn't remember. Instead he settled for saying comforting words. "Don't worry. We'll get our memories back and everything will be right as rain"

"Oh listen to Mary Poppins," The bleached-blond man from behind the counter scoffed, "Got his crust all stiff and upper with that nancy-boy accent. You Englishman are always so-" He paused, taking in his own accent. He frowned, "Bloody hell," He started ticking off words on his hand, "Sodding blimey shagging knickers bollocks- oh no," He looked horrified, "I'm English"

"Welcome to the nancy tribe," 'Mary Poppins' told him and the blond with the curly hair giggled a relieved laugh, as though that one comment had made everything a little less stressful, and he found himself feeling very happy that he was the one that made her laugh.

"You don't suppose..." The bleached blond looked at him in horror, "you don't think we're related do you?"

"There is a ruggedly handsome resemblance," The blond from behind the counter reasoned and both men looked pleased by this compliment, though not pleased by the fact that this made it more likely they were related.

"And you do inspire a particular feeling of familiarity...and disappointment," the older of the two said, "Older brother?"

"No..." The counter-blond said, "I was thinking more-"

But the bleached blond said it first.

"Father," He said in disgust, "God how I must hate you"

"Hey, what'd he do?" the curly-haired woman asked at the same time the man in question asked, "Me? What did I do?"

"Oh there's always something," His son retorted, "And what's with her?" He jabbed a finger at the blond, "I saw you two sleeping together. You probably hardly know her"

"Excuse me, but I don't think anyone knows anyone right now," She defended herself.

"Yes, exactly," His Dad agreed, "And besides we were only resting together"

His son sniffed in distaste.

"Could be worse I s'pose. She could be half ol' Daddy's age"

"Old?" Father and Accompanying Blond both scoffed in synchronization.

"I'm still young enough to get carded," He defended himself, which gave the red head a sudden idea.

"Carded! Driver's Licenses!"

Everyone started looking around in their pockets for some form of identity.

"Look! Me!" The dark haired boy said, holding up his License, "Alexander Harris. Cute picture. Hey! I exist" Alex grinned happily.

"I'm Willow Rosenberg," The red head announced with a giggle, "'Willow'. Funny name"

"I think it's pretty," The dark blond said quietly, smiling at her shyly.

"What'd you get?" Willow asked.

"Erm, Tara. And look, I'm a student at UC Sunnydale,"

"Me too!" Willow exclaimed, "Hey, maybe we're study buddies"

"I don't have a wallet," The young brunette stated sadly.

"Don't worry, me neither," The blond next to her told her, "But look..." She pointed to the nameplate necklace she was wearing, "You're Dawn"

"Or Umad," Dawn giggled, reading her name upside down.

"I'm called, let's see...'Rupert Giles'," The man who seemed to have taken charge said and the blond that had woken up on him, showed him her license.

"That's the same surname as mine. Look, Joyce Giles," She then showed him her ring on her finger and pointed out his, "I think we're married"

Rupert smiled back at her. Yes, he definitely liked the sound of that.

"Oh bugger," His son cursed realizing that moments before he'd insulted his Mom,or at least his stepmom. "Uh...sorry...uh.." What should he call her? Well, sucking up was clearly in order, "Uh, sorry Mum"

"Apology accepted," She smiled as she took Rupert's arm, clearly find comfort in the fact she had found some parts of her identity.

"Hey I'm engaged to someone," The blond for behind the counter announced, holding up her diamond ring for all to see. She then started looking around for something that would tell her who she was and who she was engaged to.

"What do I call you anyway?" Rupert asked his son and he immediately starting looking round for identification. He found none, but he did find a label sewn into his jacket.

"Made with care for 'Randy'." He looked at Rupert in disgust, _"'Randy_ Giles? Why not just call me _Horny_ Giles or Desperate For a Shag Giles? I- I _knew_ there was a reason I hated you"

"Randy's...a family name...undoubtedly," Rupert reasoned, but he sounded unconvinced.

"So, we're married huh?" Joyce smiled up at him, and he couldn't help smiling back.

"Yes, so it would seem.," So it wouldn't be inappropriate if he kissed her. But it also felt like it would. After all, despite what their ID said, he still hardly knew the woman, "It would, ah, explain the waking up together"

"Ooh!" The blond woman at the counter exclaimed, breaking the almost- moment, "I'm Anya! My key fits the lock and I found some forms by the register that say Rupert and Anya own the store" She smiled, "That's me- Anya; shop-owner"

"This is _our_ shop?" Rupert asked in disbelief, glancing around at the store, "Well, that's very progressive of me. You know, it truly is a small mind that fails to acknowledge the, erm, alternatives to our rational, scientific understanding of the universe..." His eyes settled on something that caught his attention, "Oh, fancy herbs!"

"Hey, maybe I'm engaged to you," Anya suggested, pointing at Randy, "Yeah, we met through the shop...what with you being Rupert's son. It _does_ make sense. And I _do_ find you very attractive."

Randy looked very pleased by this fact.

"You're not half-bad yourself," He grinned, "Maybe you're right. Maybe we are engaged"

"Randy..." She smiled, swooning slightly as she walked over to him and took his hand confidently. One thing about this girl, Randy thought, she's not shy. He glanced over at where Dawn, and the girl who had christened herself Joan were hugging.

"You never showed me affection like that," He told his Dad before remembering that he didn't remember, "I'd wager. Bet I had to go to my Mum...Stepmum...whatever for that. I bet you'd have left me out in the cold."

"How can you possibly-" Rupert scoffed in question, but Joan started talking over him.

"We've got to figure out what's going on," She said, "We need help"

"Looks like Joan fancies herself the boss," Randy pointed out, but Joan seemed to choose to ignore him.

"We've got a kid here-"

"A teenager," Dawn immediately corrected.

"A teenager and we have no idea what's wrong with us, I think a hospital's out best bet"

"Yes," Joyce agreed, "It's some sort of amnesia we're all suffering from...I guess. Maybe they'd be able to...fix it?"

"They can at least try and figure out what it was that caused it," Joan reasoned.

"Alright then," Rupert concluded, "Let's head out"

"Any suggestions on how we get there?" Joan asked as they started walking towards the door.

"Dad can drive us," Randy told her, "He's bound to have some classic mid-life crisis transport. Something, red, sporty...shaped like a penis"

For that comment Rupert gave him a steely yet patient glare that only parents can achieve, while Joyce, in full motherhood mode, gave him a quick, harmless clip around the head. Barely touched him, but enough to make him apologize.

"Hey!" Anya protested, rubbing Spike's head affectionately where Joyce had caught him.

Joan opened the door and on the front step stood two...vampires! The entire group screamed in terror, before Joan had the good sense to slam the door shut, and quickly lock it. The group all huddled away from the doorway, below the window, out of sight.

"Did you see what I-" Joan asked and Randy nodded.

"Vampires!" He concluded.

"Maybe it's Halloween," Tara suggested.

"Even it is, those were definitely not kids," Alex reasoned, "And those were definitely not costumes. Randy's right- we've got vampires"

"But that's not possible is it?" Joyce asked, "It's a bit...fantastical. I mean, it's Bram Stoker not actual real life"

"You just saw the evidence out there," Joan told her impatiently, "Those were vampires"

"I just wish it were more Ann Rice than Dracula," Alex gulped.

"Doors!" Willow exclaimed suddenly, "We should check for other doors, make sure they're locked and then put big heavy things in front of them! Come on!"

She grabbed her boyfriend, Alex's hand and the two ran off to check for other doors.

"Monsters are real..." Joan processed slowly, "Did we know this?"

"I don't know," Tara replied, "We n-need our memories back. We need to get to a hospital"

"Speaking as the proprietor of a magic shop, I propose we fight back," Rupert suggested bravely, "We use things here in the shop-magic tricks or whatever they call-"

"Send out Spike!" One of the vampires yelled as they rattled the windows and door.

"They seem to want spikes," Rupert said to the others, but this only confused them further. Then, Randy had a look of recognition in his eyes.

"Oh I saw some..." He rushed off to the counter and grabbed several stakes off there and dropped them in front of the group, " Let's give 'em these"

"But why do they want-" Joyce began but her question was seemingly answered by the vampires outside, before she could even finish.

"Slayer! Come out and play!"

"Slay her," Tara said, wide-eyed, "That's what they said before. They're going to use the spikes to-"

"Slay somebody. A female somebody," Joan concluded before becoming extremely pissed off, "Who do those jerks think they are?"

"Bloodsuckers," Anya explained simply, "That kill. By sucking blood. Take it easy Joan"

"We can't be talking about this," Joyce said, looking around at everyone, "This is crazy. How can we be talking about vampires? As if they exist?"

"Because a few of 'em are outside trying to break in and rip our heads off," Randy explained bluntly as he put some stakes in his inside pocket.

"Guys!" Willow whispered a shout to them as she came back, "There's a trap door in the basement. Seems to lead to the sewer"

"Let's go," Anya said, not leaving room for argument, when suddenly a vamp burst through the window shattering glass everywhere and the group ran out of the way as quickly as possible.

Joyce felt Rupert wrap his arms around her protectively from the glass as they ran away from the invading vampires. She felt comfortable like this. Memories or no, this felt right.

Absolute chaos broke out as the vamps rushed in, trashing the place and grabbing Joan and Randy. While Randy was backed helplessly into a display case, Joan bit her way out of the vampire's grip, before kicking him so hard in the groin he collapsed in pain on the ground. As Joan got her balance back, she instinctively grabbed one of the stakes Randy had dropped on the floor.

"Stay away from Randy!" She ordered the vampire attacking Randy, before staking the vamp in the heart. He turned to dust.

"What did you do?" Willow asked.

"Oh my god," Joyce breathed, "_What_ is going on?"

"I don't know," Joan answered honestly before breaking out in a wide grin, "But it was _cool_"

"The boss ain't gonna like this," The remaining vampire said, "I'll be back and I won't be alone," And on that note he jumped back out the broken window. Randy immediately went over to the window and door and pulled down the metal security gate. It made them all feel a little bit safer.

"I think I know why Joan's the boss," Joan said in awe, "I'm like a Superhero or something!"

Everyone else returned the same awed look, except for Alex, who instead fell in a dead faint on the floor.

Once they had re-awoken Alex, which fortunately only took a few seconds, Joan fell into strategy mode.

"Okay, I've got a plan" She announced.

"I'm all ears," Alex told her.

"They seem to want Randy. And I seem to be pretty strong. Wicked-strong," She grinned at the thought, "So while you all go through the sewer and find the hospital, Randy and I'll take the monster for a run"

"No," Anya shook her head, holding onto Randy's arm protectively, "He's not going out there. It's a death trap. And I want my fiancée alive thank you very much. He can come with us."

Joan sighed as she saw how adamant Anya was.

"Fine. Whatever. I'll just fight them all off myself," She was pretty sure she could, but still, she preferred her plan to Anya's.

"Perhaps magic can help us," Rupert suggested, "It's worth a shot"

"Well, I'm staying here with you then," Joyce told him, "I'm not leaving you here alone."

"Right," Joan nodded, "You two stay here and do...whatever then. The rest of you- sewers and the hospital." She started to head towards the door, but Joyce grabbed her arm.

"You're seriously going out there alone?"

"Yes," Joan said simply as though she couldn't understand why there was a problem with that plan.

"I know I don't, well, I _probably_ don't even know you, but I can't just let you go out there alone," Joyce told her, sounding extremely concerned for Joan's welfare.

"Yes, you can," Joan told her, "Super strong, remember? Or did you not _see_ the vampire turn to dust"

"That was _one_ vampire. I know you're pretty strong and you could deal with those two, but there's loads more out there- god knows how many and they are deadly serious about killing Randy...and, _and _you, you _can't_ go out there"

"Don't worry-" Joan had the urge to call this woman 'Mom', but she successfully and rightfully refrained, "I'll be fine. Trust me"

And she ran out the front door, leaving Joyce looking and feeling terribly and mind-numbingly worried for Joan.

* * *

"So, I suppose I should start some magic," Rupert said, once everyone but he and Joyce had left the store. 

"Do you know how to?" Joyce asked, twirling her necklace nervously as she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Magic. Do you know how to do it?" She asked again, "I mean, what if you don't and...you say something and another something and before you know it- there's a huge...huge...army of, of-" She struggled round for an example, "Of bunnies" She finished.

"Bunnies?" He asked sceptically as he took a few books that could be of use off the shelves.

"Yes..." She said, not sounding confident at all, "Okay, I agree- that was a ridiculous example, but you do understand what I'm trying to say?"

"Yes," He nodded with a smile,"And I will read everything thoroughly and be very careful," He went to comfort her with a small kiss, it felt like the natural thing to do, but his lack of any memories of this woman made him stop mid-way.

"It would be okay you know," She told him, correctly guessing what he was thinking about, "I mean we _are_ married after all"

"Yes, yes we are," He agreed.

"And maybe it would even trigger some of our memories," She suggested.

They leaned in very close to one another, consciously wary of each other, not entirely sure how to go about the task, it feeling akin to kissing a complete stranger. At the last moment, just before their lips touched, Rupert pulled away and held up the books he had taken off the shelves.

"We'd uh...research is in order I believe," He said, heading off to the round table placed conveniently in the store as though waiting for the researchers and their texts.

"Yes," Joyce sighed, not entirely happy with that decision.

* * *

It was a little while later and no success had come of the research, though Rupert did believe he was coming closer to the answer as the information in one book led him to another and another and so on, until, he believed, he would find the information they needed to have their memories returned to them.

Joyce thought that it was either that or it wasn't magical and they should instead, be at the hospital like everyone else. She looked around the store herself, seeing if anything would catch her attention. Something did. A handbag on the counter. She hadn't noticed it before, but she noticed it now.

She walked over to it, and starting pawing through the contents until she came to a leather purse. Opening it up she found some credit cards that bore the same name as on her driver's license. This was her bag! She continued flipping through the contents in the purse- cards, receipts and ooh- a photo. She pulled it out and saw it was picture of Dawn and Joan. Though they looked a few years younger than they had been in the store. They looked to be at a beach somewhere or something. Were they her daughters? She flipped over the photo and saw written on the back 'Dawn and Buffy, San Diego '97. Just after Dawn had too much ice cream. Not pretty'. She laughed silently at her own side note, wishing she could have this memory back. So Dawn and Joan were her children. And Joan was called Buffy, not Joan. Buffy? It was an odd name, but looking at the picture, Joyce thought it suited the girl.

She put the purse and photo down and continued looking through the contents of her bag, trying to remind herself that this wasn't invading privacy since it was _her_ bag. She came across a diary. She immediately started flipping through it, looking for any further helpful information about her life.

There were important dates written down. Dull everyday thing such as when bills had to be paid and dentist appointments, but in the most recent months Joyce noticed three words that kept being written down on very regular dates. Marriage Counseling-Rita. A couple of dates on and it had been abbreviated to M.C or just Rita.

Joyce couldn't believe what she was reading. So much for their happy married lifestyle they thought they had. Apparently they were very not-happy right now. She stopped as another page drew her attention. November 14th had something very shocking written on it. 'Rupert leaving- England'. There were several doodles and question marks around it and the letters had been retraced again and again as though she hadn't been quite comfortable writing the words down and so had had to reaffirm them.

She had to tell Rupert this. Didn't she? Yes, of course she did. It was his life too after all.

"Rupert?" She called, "could you come over here a minute? I've found something"

"About the memory loss?" He asked as he walked over, joining her on the sales clerk side of the counter.

"No. About us," She told him, holding out the diary to him and pointing out the two shocking things that had been written down. "Seems we weren't as happy as we thought we were," She surmised grimly.

* * *

A little while later, the two of them were still stood behind the counter, leaning on the glass top as they looked at the diary and at the ticket Rupert had found in his picket. The one-way ticket.

"Things must be..._so_ bad for you to be moving back to England," Joyce said, sadness enveloping her at the thought.

"Apparently so," Rupert agreed, feeling just as sad. He wished he had the memories to tell him where it all went wrong. Then, maybe, he could fix it. Instead they had nothing but...an unwanted and unhelpful clean slate.

"We must have...something must have..." Joyce didn't even know what to say about the situation. The evidence was right there in front of them though. Suddenly a thought struck Joyce, "You don't think we were a green card wedding that tried to make it work?"

Rupert looked completely appalled at the thought.

"No," He instantly said.

"You don't know that," She retorted, but deep down she thought it wasn't true either, "Maybe not," She admitted. Silence fell on the contemplative two again. Then another thought struck Joyce, "Do you think we were in love then?"

"I suppose we were at one point," He reasoned.

"But are...were we now?" She asked him, but before he could answer she carried on talking, "I think...whether we have our memories or not...that being in love...would be something you'd remember. Like a feeling. A feeling memory," She laughed at herself slightly, "I know that phrasing sounding stupid"

"Do you?" He asked her.

"Sound stupid?" She frowned, wondering whether it was him asking questions such as whether she was stupid was one of the reasons behind the marriage counseling.

"No," He smiled at her mistake, "Remember. Have a 'feeling memory'" He smiled again as he used her coined phrase

She thought for a moment, like really thought.

"Yeah," She nodded slowly, leaning in towards him, "Yeah, I think I do."

Their lips met and while at first the kiss was gentle, it was soon demanding of both partners,her mouth crushing his. She was just about to wrap her arms around him when it all came flooding back. The memories. What had happened in their lives. Where they were. Why he was leaving. Everything.

They both stopped kissing for a moment as their memories came back, but, oddly enough, their lips didn't separate. It was only a split-moment, but the decision was made in that second as Joyce wrapped her arms around him as she had initially intended to do before the memories returned, and the two resumed kissing. She felt his heartbeat accelerate as much as her own as the two pressed against one another, their hands exploring what they hadn't for weeks, familiarizing themselves with every contour, every movement, every impulse.

Within moments, as the kiss intensified, becoming hungry and demanding, the two slid down together out of sight of customers (if there had been any) behind the counter, still kissing.

* * *

The gang, as they returned to the Magic Shop from the sewers, were very unhappy. Xander was unhappy with Anya for kissing Spike. Spike was unhappy about the suit he was wearing, the fact he had thought he was Giles' son and the fact he didn't know where Buffy was. Willow was unhappy because Tara was leaving her. And _everyone_ was unhappy with Willow.

The walked back into the store at the same Buffy walked in through the door. The doorbell had been knocked off by the vampire attack before and so no ringing sounded when she entered. She looked at the group for a moment and smiled uncomfortably. Yep, they'd all got their memories back. The only question was- where were the remaining two of the group?

"Mom?" Buffy called, walking through the store, "Giles?"

Of all the places Buffy and the others expected the couple to appear from, it wasn't from behind the counter and it wasn't with them clothesless. They stayed knelt down behind the counter so nothing was seen, but still.

"Oh my god!" Xander exclaimed, turning around and squinting his eyes shut real tight as did everyone else except Anya. Knowing his fiancée wouldn't have done the normal thing and looked away he used his spare hand to cover her eyes.

"B-Buffy, uh, Xander," Joyce stuttered in panic as she grabbed one of the ethereal looking covers off the side and threw it quickly over her and Giles. It wasn't cover enough, but it would do for the moment. "You, uh,y-y-you got your memories back then?"

"Yep," Xander replied, not turning around still, "And yet, we somehow managed to keep _our_ clothes on" He retorted.

"Does this mean Giles isn't leaving?" Dawn asked tentatively, also looking in the opposite direction.

"No, he's n-" Joyce sighed, she really couldn't answer while she was having what could only be described as an extreme panic-inducing case of nudity, "Erm, Anya could you...?" She gestured to her clothes that had been thrown just out of reach. Anya, having pushed away Xander's hand, nodded and tossed Joyce her clothes and before he could ask, also threw Giles his.

"Thank you," The both murmured, before hurriedly getting dressed, once Anya had been told by Xander to look away again.

Finally, they were dressed and, now decent, the two stood up from behind the counter, looking rather sheepish at their actions, or rather at being caught.

"Oh thank god," Xander breathed, his voice full of relief as he saw the couple were dressed.

"So..is Giles staying?" Dawn asked again and Joyce and Giles looked at one another a moment.

"Yes, Dawn," Joyce finally said, looking at her daughter, "Yes, he's staying"

"We, uh, both agreed that while we still do have some things to work through, we both know that we want to work through them together" Giles told them.

"Not on different continents," Joyce finished and while most were smiling at this fact, Anya just looked confused.

"When did you suddenly agree to all this? During the shop sex or after?"

Xander looked like he could murder her.

"Nothing like losing all your memories to help you remember why you're here in the first place," Joyce couldn't help grinning at Giles and the two kissed. But while she had been talking about their relationship, the words themselves really reached Buffy as she took them in and thought them over._Nothing like losing all your memories to help you remember why you're here in the first place. _"How did we lose our memories anyway?" Joyce asked, after breaking the kiss with Giles, "And how come we have them back?"

The group didn't say anything, but they all looked somberly at Willow. Willow's face was sad, ashamed and looked as though she were awaiting reprimand. But Tara's expression was even worse. Joyce could visibly see the girl's heart breaking at what Willow had done. A moment later, Tara, with one last look at Willow, ran out of the store. Willow went to say something to the rest of the group, but before she could Buffy ran out of the store as well, only out through the training room, rather than the front door. Unable to look at Willow after what she'd done with magic, yet again, Joyce and Giles also headed silently out of the store in the same direction Tara had left. Joyce did want to go after Tara, she just looked so upset, so heartbroken, but right now she needed to be alone. But she'd go see her, see how she's doing, soon. Perhaps tomorrow. But not now.

"Slayer," Spike said, running after Buffy, and only Anya, Xander and Willow were left in the shop.

"Xand," Willow began, but he cut her off.

"I love you Will, no matter what, you know that but...not right now okay? Not right now" And without another word he led Anya out of the store.

And Willow was left stood alone in the darkened shop.


	9. Smashed

Rabidreject- Thanks for review and well, you will see that Giles will have a HUGE part in dealing with the magic addict that is Willow.

Zigpal- Thanks for review and claps (ee! hehe) and I know I made them all react a bit harsher, but like you said this will kinda have a knock-on effect. And of course I couldn't seperate the Giles couple, hehe, and actually you may have just latched onto a story arc there with your hinty-guessage. in mystical voice this chapter will reveal aaaaall... hehe.

g120- thank you and thank you (I got two reviews off you at once ya see. Hehe.) And sorry my songs weren't all meshy for ya music scene, hehe. And nice pun ;-)

Jason Barnett- Thanks for reviewage...and well, since you seem to have major pro-willow and anti-everyone else things goin on here, I'll just have to see if you like how Will's dealt with in later chapters.

* * *

Buffy was on patrol. She seemed to have lost her simple going-through-the-motions outlook on it recently, or at least partially anyway. She was still fairly down as she still remembered what it had been like in Heaven, but she seemed to be getting along better now. More smiles...as though she were adjusting to the world again finally. 

And so, rather than patrolling for something to do, or, deep down, in the hopes that a vampire would finally get the better of her and send her right back to Heaven with one fatal blow, she was patrolling because she was the Slayer and that's what Slayers do. Or rather that's what The Slayer did. There was only one after all. Well, two technically, but the other was crazy and in jail so she didn't count, Buffy believed.

Okay, so the official reason she was on patrol was because she was the Slayer. The genuine reason? She just _had _to escape the walking cuteness that was her Mom and Giles recently. Ever since the memory incident a week ago, they'd been all over each other once again. Like they had been...well, way at the beginning, Buffy realized. Which was nice, she thought, in a way because well Dawn wasn't going all therapy-needing because of another divorce and also Giles wasn't like off in jolly England so that was all a good. But there was seriously only so much cuteness a Slayer could take.

"Buffy,"

Buffy turned around to see Spike stood there, just having walked out of the shadows.

"What are you doing here?" She asked impatiently, thinking the cuteness of her Mom and Giles was no longer such a terrible thing to deal with.

* * *

Dawn flipped through her magazine, not really reading anything in it. The stories were boring this month anyway. Even the cringe pages weren't as cringey as they could be. She tossed the magazine aside and it landed on the floor next to her bed. The CD she had been playing came to an end also and suddenly everything in her room came to a silent stop. Boredom, it wasn't fun. Really wasn't fun. She was also hungry. Not for hard food. More like fun food...cookie food sounded real good right about now. 

Swinging her legs around off the bed so she was sat up, Dawn took a brief glance around her cluttered room, before deciding she was going to make that cookie trip to the kitchen. There were some chocolate chip ones left last time she checked. As long as Buffy hadn't binged on them after patrol, they should still be there.

She bounded down the stairs lightly before heading in the direction of the kitchen, once her feet hit the ground floor. As she came to the entryway to the kitchen, she could hear giggling trickling out through the gap that the partly open door had left. It was her Mom giggling, Dawn could instantly tell and she took another step forward, pushing the door open a little more slightly.

There were glasses of wine on the island, half finished and they were eating together (Joyce and Giles, not the wine glasses), occasionally feeding one another pieces of the food laid out in front of them, before smiling and kissing. Buffy was right, Dawn thought, they were a twosome of cuteness. And at times, it was just too much for the viewing audience. Dawn abandoned the cookie plan and headed back upstairs, taking time to admit to herself that she was a little giddy over the fact the two of them were getting along so well once again.

"I've missed this," Joyce admitted, taking another sip of her wine.

"Yes," Giles agreed, "Whatever you would class 'this' to be"

Joyce thought for a moment.

"The fun bits," She finally decided, "These are the fun bits- that we've been missing out on for a while"

"For a decidedly too long a 'while'" Giles told her, before giving her a long, sensual kiss that had shivers running up and down her spine in a clichéd way she enjoyed.

"Definitely," She agreed, once the kiss was broken, "I think we've had a lot of fun bits in the past...maybe it's time to...uh, 'revisit' them?" She suggested, "I mean isn't that what Rita's been telling us these past weeks? 'Revisit our fondest memories'. So," She leaned in close to him, "why not revisit our fondest..."

"Pleasures?" Giles finished and Joyce smiled.

"Well...not that it had ever occurred to me before then...but that bit with the handcuffs was..." She grinned as she searched around for an apt description, "Interesting." She settled on.

"I _clearly_ came in at the wrong point here," Buffy's voice drifted over to them, and the couple started as they saw that Buffy, unheard, had come in through the back door.

"Buffy," Joyce stood up straighter, reaffirming the distance that had previously been between her and Giles as she turned to look at her daughter.

"Mom," Buffy replied in the same slightly-shocked tone.

"H-how was patrol?" Giles asked and this simple question seemed to make Buffy momentarily flustered.

"Just the usual you know," She said, once she had eventually forced herself to become fluster-free, "Few vamps," Her face brightened, "Ooh- and I stopped a mugging."

She paused for a moment, thinking over Spike's words. _I'm the only one here for you pet! You've got no one else!_

That wasn't true though was it? At least she didn't want it to be true. She could tell her Mom about kissing Spike couldn't she? Joyce had never truly disliked Spike- except for that one time on Parent Teacher Night...and so it would be less likely that she would look down on Buffy. So maybe she should just tell her, get it out in the open...then once it was it would stop her from ever having to kiss Spike ever again.

She went to say something when the phone started ringing and she reluctantly went to answer it.

"Hello?"

Joyce and Giles watched as Buffy's eyes became wider and wider with each word the caller said. Eventually, after telling the caller she'd be right over, she hung up the phone looking completely stunned.

"That was Willow," She told them, "She...Amy's back"

"Pardon?" Giles asked, completely confused. Who was Amy?

"Amy. The Rat. Willow's turned her back," Buffy explained, still very stunned, "She's Amy the human now. I don't know why...but she wants. Erm. She wants me to go over now so I said yeah."

She left, heading out the way she had come in, before either her Mom or Giles could comment on Willow's recent abundant use of the magics.

"Isn't...turning Amy back into a human...isn't that..." Joyce asked warily and Giles finished her question.

"Powerful?" He nodded, "And potentially dangerous too. So much magics...it..." He sighed, thinking on his own past when he had delved into the Black Arts with Ethan and the others, "It's a downward spiral."

Joyce looked understandably worried for Willow at this concept.

"Then shouldn't we..." She trailed off as she wavered a little where she stood, a bout of dizziness taking over.

"Joyce?" Giles asked, wondering whether she was okay.

"I'm fine," She told him with a smile, "Just a little bit of a dizzy spell. Head rush," He looked unconvinced and she gave him a reassuring smile, "I'm fine. Promise." She took a bite out of one of the cookies on the side as if to prove the point.

Giles decided to let it slide, after all, didn't everyone get dizzy spells now and then? It was one of those inhibiting human qualities they were all vulnerable to. As she munched happily on the chocolate chip cookie, he walked over, closing the small distance between them and from behind slipped his arms around her, making her giggle as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Have a cookie," She told him with a grin, holding out the other half of the cookie she had taken a bite of to him.

* * *

"Hey," Buffy announced her presence quietly as she walked into Willow's dorm, closing the door behind her. As she had walked along the halls and seen the students milling about, Buffy had decided she definitely wanted to audit until late enrollment. She missed the college life and who knows? Perhaps it would get her back on the life track after...well, after where she'd been. 

"Hey," Willow smiled back, sat alone on her bed.

"Where's Amy?" Buffy asked, looking around.

"Oh she's in the bathroom across the hall," Willow explained, "She felt the sudden need to embrace personal hygiene. Apparently being in a sawdusty cage for three years has that effect on a person," Willow smiled nervously.

"I can't believe you turned her back," Buffy forced herself to smile confidently, "I mean...wow. Pretty amazing- human Amy"

"Yeah..." Willow nodded, biting her lip, apparently nervous about something she wanted to say.

"Will,what is it?" Buffy asked, immediately picking up on it.

"There's a reason I called you over here. A favor-y type reason."

"A favor?" Buffy asked with a frown, "What sort of favor?"

"The sort of favor where Amy stays at yours for a few days. Just until she can go back to her Dad's," Willow quickly added as though that little tidbit made the whole favor more acceptable, "It's just...she's not at college here and well...non college people usually have to go home to the non-dorms"

"Willow, you know I wanna help...but shouldn't you kinda be asking Mom this? Or Giles? I mean, they're kinda the house-paying people"

"Well, I was kinda hoping I'd tell you and then...you'd tell them and everything would be fine and dandy" Willow admitted with a smile, but Buffy didn't seem won over.

"I don't know..." She looked at Willow with an even stare, "Why don't you just use magic? Put Amy on the college system so she could stay here?

Willow couldn't miss the negative undercurrent in that question and what Buffy was implying, but for now, Willow chose to ignore it.

"Yes," She admitted, "I could, but really? I think Amy would be better off in a place with less people right now. Crowds kinda make her jumpy"

Buffy sighed in resignation.

* * *

In the early hours of the morning, Dawn awoke, still feeling hungry. No, not hungry. Peckish. Peckish enough for those cookies she'd attempted to get earlier on, but had been prevented from doing so by the cuteness scene in the kitchen. Now though, the kitchen would be empty and the cookies would be there for her to grab. 

She crept down the stairs quietly so as not to wake anyone else in the house and upon reaching the kitchen immediately headed over to the cupboard that was home to the tin of biscuits. She pulled off the lid to find the container empty of it's contents.

"They ate them," Dawn whispered in disbelief, "They went and ate the cookies"

* * *

"Erm...I'm not sure it's legal in the United States to have someone living in a room this small," Joyce worried aloud as she looked around at the small box room she had done up for Amy's short stay. It consisted of a bed and chest of drawers. A mirror was on the wall and there was a tiny window, but other than that... 

"I'm sure it will be fine," Giles told her.

"Yeah," Buffy agreed, looking on at the room also, "I mean she's been living in a cage for years. This...this will be like a palace"

Joyce was saved having to retort when there was a knock at the door- Amy and Willow no doubt- and the three headed down the stairs.

When Joyce opened the door, Willow was stood there smiling broadly while Amy was hunched over slightly and looked very nervous. When she saw Joyce she visibly jumped and hid behind Willow.

"I'm flattered," Joyce sad flatly at the reaction, before looking at Willow questioningly.

"She's a little jumpy around people," Willow explained.

"Particularly people who tried to burn me at the stake," Amy added in from behind Willow.

"What...?" Joyce was momentarily confused, but then it all fell into place, " That. Oh...erm...sorry about that"

"Huh. Sorry. Huh." Amy said nervously, looking very unconvinced by Joyce's apology.

"I was _possessed_" Joyce defended herself, "What more do you want?"

"Okay," Buffy spoke over her Mother's sudden snap change in mood, "Amy would you like me to take you to your room? It's small, but livable"

Amy nodded and she and Willow were led past Giles and Joyce and up the stairs.

"Right," Joyce said, watching their retreating forms, before returning her attention to Giles, "I'm off."

"Off?"

"I'm going to see Tara today. Remember?" She prompted, smiling at his forgetfulness. She also smiled as she thought how cute he looked when he was puzzled. Bemused was a look he wore well. Not many people could claim that.

* * *

"It's just she frightens me so much when she gets so lost in the magic...and she won't listen to anything I have to say." Tara admitted as she sat with Joyce over coffee at the Espresso Pump. Joyce had been sort of uncomfortable coming here to talk, Tara noticed and she had a feeling it had something to do with the adult/teen-young adult boundaries, ones that people rarely crossed. And those lines included the fact that the 'adults' and 'teens-young adults' never socialize together in public places such as coffee shops. But it had been a more comfortable place to talk than Tara's new dorm. For one, the dorm didn't feel like home yet. Without Willow there, Tara doubted it ever would. "I know...if she's going to come to her senses about it, I have to leave," Tara carried on, "But at the same time, it's tearing me apart" 

Joyce felt so sorry for the girl, as strange as it had been initially to find out Willow was gay, especially after how deeply in love she had been with Oz, now it seemed unnatural for her and Tara not to be together. Yet, Joyce understood and agreed why Tara had to leave.

"She uses it too often," Tara continued, looking down sadly into her cup of coffee, "Relies on it too often. I'm afraid the world's losing her...I'm losing her" Without any warning, or perhaps with a lot, Tara started sobbing into her beverage. Joyce had never seen Tara cry, look sad, distraught, yes, but she never actually cried and to see it now was quite startling. But Joyce was only stunned by the sight for a moment, before motherly instincts kicked in and she sidled round to give Tara a warm, comforting hug.

"It'll be okay, we're not losing her," She assured the girl, "Maybe...maybe this time apart will help Willow to...clear her head about it all. She loves you too much to go on without you and I'm sure that...uh, that that will bring her to her senses." The comforting words seemed to allay Tara's cries a little, but Joyce wasn't sure she believed her own reassurances. She wasn't as knowledgeable on these subjects as Tara, Willow or even Rupert, but she knew enough to see a problem when it began and Willow was heading for some serious issues.

Tara pulled out of the hug to wipe her eyes dry with a napkin.

"S-sorry," She apologized, "I-I-I didn't mean to-"

"No it's fi..." Joyce trailed off as the same dizziness she had felt the previous night in the kitchen overcame her again and Tara was filled with concern as she looked at her.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Joyce waved away her concern as she waved away her own dizziness, "I've just been getting a few dizzy spells this past week. It's probably just low blood sugar or something..." She smiled sheepishly at Tara, "I should probably go to the doctor's but...well, I really haven't the time and to be honest," She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "I really can't be bothered making the appointment"

As Tara smiled at this, Joyce looked down at her watch and realized she'd have to be at the gallery soon. She made to say her byes to Tara and go, but Tara stopped her.

"I hope it's n-not too much to ask, but before you go, could you g-give me a ride to your house? I promised Dawn I'd take her out for the day. Kind of a movie and milkshake fun day" She grinned and Joyce smiled back.

"Oh, sure, she'll love that. Course I'll give you a ride"

"Thanks," Tara smiled, following Joyce out of the coffee shop. It was true that she had promised Dawn she would take her out one day this week, but the real reason she wanted Joyce to give her a ride was the fact she was genuinely worried that the woman would have another dizzy spell in the car. And when a person was at the wheel, that kind of spell could end badly.

* * *

"Hello?" Joyce called out as she and Tara walked in through the front door of 1630 Revello Drive. They were greeted by the sound of a newsreader on TV relaying the facts about the latest suspicious tragedy in Sunnydale. On the sofa Giles and Amy were watching this broadcast. It was a very odd scene to behold. "Rupert...?" Joyce prompted for an explanation to this surreal occurrence. 

"Oh, Joyce, Tara..." He said as his attention was drawn away from the broadcast, "There's, quite strange really, there's a man at the museum who has been, well for lack of a better description, frozen."

"Like in time?" Tara asked, concerned and Giles shook his head.

"No, rather different actually. He's been frozen in ice," He cocked his head to the side thoughtfully, "Though I suppose if you consider the concepts of being frozen in ice, then time does essentially stop for the person in question doesn't it?"

"Yes," Joyce agreed distractedly, her thoughts still on the fact that 'Rusty' the security guard at Sunnydale Museum had been frozen to the point of looking like a victim straight out of a _Fantastic Four_ comic strip,"You say he's been completely frozen?" Giles nodded, "And there's no evidence around him at all?"

"Exactly. I believe some extensive research is in order," Giles grinned, clearly watcherly-giddy at the thought, as he stood up. "We might be able to shed some light on the matter. People being frozen into the likeness of ice structures though, that's not something you come across everyday is it?"

"Have I ever said how very different our lives are from other peoples?" Joyce asked just as Willow came down the stairs with Buffy and Dawn mid-conversation.

"...Amy will be fine with that I mean if-" She stopped talking the moment she saw Tara stood there. "Tara"

Tense didn't quite describe this moment.

"Willow," Tara greeted her,"It's erm...what are you-"

"Oh I'm just making sure Amy's settled in," Willow explained immediately, eager for any sort of conversation with Tara.

"Amy?" Tara frowned and Willow gestured vaguely at the girl sat up on the sofa.

"Hi," Amy waved as Tara looked over at her.

"Amy the rat," Willow explained enthusiastically, waiting for Tara's response. "Sorry," She apologized to Amy.

"No it's okay," She told her with a too-quick shrug, "I was a rat"

"Y-you turned..." Tara was flabbergasted, but not impressed, "Wow..."

Awkward silence fell on them once again.

"So where you guys off?" Dawn asked, purposely breaking into the moment as she noted that most people were stood near the door.

"Oh, someone's been ah frozen at Sunnydale Museum," Giles quickly explained, clearly enthusiastic, "It's fairly new and unheard of so ah- well, research is in order I believe."

"Have I also ever told you how very strange you are?" Joyce asked, taking in Giles' enthusiastic approach to the concept of research.

Willow, Buffy and Dawn smothered a giggle at this, while Giles just frowned a bemused frown.

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing," Joyce hurried to tell him, "Just...that you are" She smiled warmly at him and liked it when he smiled back.

"So, we're off to the Magic Box?" Dawn asked, "Research mode?"

"We are, you're not," Joyce corrected her-realizing her plan to go to the gallery would have to be cancelled-and her daughter immediately fell into a sulk,"We have something else planned for you."

"You're gonna make me tidy my room again aren't you?" Dawn whined, "I tell you, it's as tidy as it's ever gonna be"

"Or...how about a Movie and Milkshake Fun Day?" Tara asked and Dawn just looked confused, "I said I'd take you out right...?"

"Ooh yay!" Dawn smiled as the memory of such a plan fell into place in her mind. "Let me just get my jacket" And she dashed upstairs, quick as a shot. It was an impressive sight to see.

"Perhaps you could visit the scene, Buffy?" Giles suggested as Tara waited for Dawn to return, "See if there's anything revealing you can find"

"I'm on it," She told him, a moment later heading off out the door.

* * *

"Ah, here we go," Xander announced as he held up a newspaper in the magic shop later on, "This one's got some more stuff on it. Apparently the guy's gonna live." 

"Well, that's a relief," Joyce acknowledged as Xander continued reading.

"He's all thawed out now." He explained, squinting at the information in the article, "Apparently, they used hairdryers. Huh."

"Hairdryers?" Giles asked incredulously as he continued flip through his own newspaper. They needed as much information on the incident as possible before they could begin researching into potential demons behind it.

"Yep," Xander nodded, "And Max Power strikes again"

"Everything slowed down," Willow read aloud from her own paper, "Nervous system, circulatory system, he's still unconscious"

"So this demon doesn't kill it's victims..." Giles pondered over the facts aloud.

"No, just turns them into victims of major frost bite," Anya said bluntly.

"Yes..." Giles said thoughtfully, "Perhaps we should start looking into elemental demons...sprites..."

"But what about the diamond?" Joyce asked, "This news report says that a diamond had been taken from the museum...so...wouldn't the two events be connected?" Joyce looked unsure of her suggestion.

"Perhaps it has mystical properties," Giles suggested.

"Could be cursed," Anya added, "Diamonds are good for cursing"

"Well, I suppose we'll find the answer once we find the demon," Giles surmised, standing up to head over to a nearby bookshelf and take off the relevant texts that might help them all.

"And I'll research into the diamond," Willow told them, "Find out what I can"

"Willow, I don't think-" Buffy began, assuming Willow was going to use magical means to research, when her friend got out her laptop and set it down on the table, before opening the top and starting it up calmly, "Oh. Hey. Cool."

"All right, back to basics," Xander grinned, clearly happy at this sight, "A little old-fashioned, state-of-the-art, hacker action"

"That's great Will," Buffy smiled a genuine warm smile, "I haven't seen you do that in a long time..."

Suddenly, a new part in the research process began as Willow placed her hands on the keyboard, the palms sinking below the surface and the laptop began to glow slightly as Willow absorbed the researched information directly. Everyone looked at Willow in concern, but no one more so than Giles.

"Willow-" He began carefully but the redhead cut him off.

"Shh, I've found something. About the diamond," She read from an invisible screen, "Okay, internal police reports. A diamond was stolen last night from the museum. A big diamond. On loan from the British Museum."

"The British Museum?" Giles repeated. He knew that that particular museum kept certain items of magical properties protected for the Council. A hiding-in-plain-sight thing. That meant the crystal could definitely be of importance in their research. He just didn't wish Willow to research _that way_ any longer.

"Ooh pretty," Will grinned, before explaining, "There's a picture,"

"Is it a supernatural diamond?" Buffy asked, "Like all good-lucky? Or healing powers?"

"I still have contacts at the British Museum," Giles told them, "I could give them a ring...find out whether it was an item connected with the council and so on"

"Ah, there we go," Xander smiled, "G-man's on the case. So...erm..." He looked warily over at Willow, "Guess you can cut back on that now, Will, relax..."

Willow broke her concentration to look at Xander and saw that everyone wore the same concerned faces.

"Guys, really, I'm fine. What's the deal-"

"Oh for crying out loud," Anya said impatiently with a roll of the eyes, "This is bizarre. You're all la-la-la with the magic and the not-talking, like everything's normal, when we all know that Tara up and left you and now everyone's too scared to say anything to you," She paused for a moment before smiling a self-satisfied smile, "Except me"

"Besides which, what you're doing Willow is highly dangerous," Giles said.

"And him," Anya added.

"What...what are you talking about?" Willow asked.

"Willow, you know this...all this that you're tampering with is volatile to your well-being. Using it so much can lead, can lead to your own self-corruption, self-destruction- the destruction of those around you."

"What? Like you did?" Willow asked harshly, "'Randall' was his name, right?" She asked, attempting for a casual tone, but the look in her eyes was menacing and everyone around her fell deathly silent. She had crossed a line. However, Giles remained calm, but there was authority in his voice.

"I always trusted that you would be careful Willow...that you would learn from my mistakes. This over-use of the magics is dangerous...and has the potential to be addictive if you rely so heavily upon it and it's this that was the reason Tara was forced to leave you. She knows what you're getting into even if you choose not to see it"

Willow took her hands out of the keyboard slowly and the laptop ceased to glow. She closed the screen shut and slid it back into her back just as calmly and silently.

"Fine," She said, her voice low and menacing, "If you don't want to do it my way then do your own damn slow research"

And without another word she left the store to go and talk to the only other person who truly understood magic. Amy.

* * *

It was later on in the night, way late on, and at Giles' suggestion Buffy had gone on patrol to see if she could find anything that would be potential clueage to what they had dubbed, much to Giles' chagrin, The Frost Monster.

Joyce had just gotten off the phone with Tara, telling her that they'd probably be home very soon as they fully intended to clear up now and leave, but until they got back, would she look after Dawn. Tara, being the sweet girl she was, had obviously said of course and now all that was left to do was for Joyce to convince the others that they needed to call it a night on the research front, or go crazy.

She walked back into the front of the store where she saw the group were still hard at work, researching, bless 'em. They never quit until the problem was solved. But sometimes, they just had to stop and realize when they had to call it a night.

As she walked over to them, she felt the now-familiar wave of dizziness overcoming her and she swayed on the spot, shaking her head in an attempt to clear it, but it did absolutely nothing to help.

"Rupert..." She said, her voice coming out weaker than she intended it to and Giles glanced over at her in concern just in time to see her collapse.

"Joyce!" He exclaimed, quickly running over to her and Anya and Xander weren't far behind him. Giles knelt beside her, gently lifting Joyce's head onto his lap. "Joyce..." She clearly wasn't going to awaken, "Xander- we need to get her to a hospital"

"I'll go start the car," Xander immediately said, rushing out of the store muttering something to the effect of 'why does she always do this?'

* * *

"This is a very unpleasant deja vu," Joyce said as they waited in a hospital room a few hours later. She'd had numerous tests, including the nauseating blood tests and now she had been ordered by the doctor to stay lay down on the bed for some rest while he worked on getting her some results as quickly as possible. Despite those orders, Joyce was sat up on the bed, not lay down. She had come to shortly after she had been brought to the hospital and now felt, in all honesty, fine.

"I just got off the phone with Tara," Xander said, walking back into the room, "She said she'll look after Dawn as long as you're here. I also told her to not...well, tell Dawn anything- I thought you wouldn't want her worried"

"Thank you," Joyce smiled at him, truly grateful, "What about Buffy?"

"I tried her cell. I couldn't get hold of her," Xander told her, "But she's not usually all phone-answering when she's on patrol. I left her a message on her voice mail though"

"You should have told me about these dizzy spells you've been having," Giles told Joyce quietly, taking hold of one of her hands in both of his. She smiled at him.

"I didn't think they were anything to worry about," She admitted, "I just...figured I was dehydrated or something. That's probably what the results are going to say anyway."

At that point Dr Warren walked back in, holding a clipboard of obvious test results in her hand.

"Well, we're about to find out," Xander murmured as he went to stand beside Anya and out of the doctor's way.

"Well, Mrs Giles, looking at-" She paused in her retelling of the results, to glance over at Xander and Anya before looking back at Joyce. "I,erm, I think only your husband should be allowed to be here" She explained, but Joyce shook her head.

"No, it's okay, they can stay," She told the doctor, "They'll uh probably only listen in at the door anyway"

"That's very true," Anya told Dr Warren in a bright cheery tone, and the doctor shrugged in acceptance.

"Okay..." She reluctantly accepted before looking back down at the notes and as she went to read them, Joyce gripped Giles' hand a little tighter, "Well, the good news is that's it's not bad news," The doctor told them.

"It's...not?" Giles asked warily and the doctor shook her head.

"No, not at all. I mean, of course, it's not perfect. Fainting spells aren't ideal after all." The doctor smiled at them as she said this, "But it can sometimes be a natural thing for a lot of people in the first few weeks. Particularly those who are over thirty-five"

The group nodded in acceptance of this fact, before all becoming universally puzzled.

"I'm sorry...you've lost me" Joyce told her with a puzzled smile, as though trying to smooth over the confusion, "Over thirty five?"

"Oh," Dr Warren smiled before she explained, "I just meant studies show it's less likely for a person to faint in your condition when they're...let's say...in their twenties"

"My...my condition?" Joyce asked, eyes wide, and as calm as she had been before she was now deeply worried.

"What condition?" Giles asked.

"What c...?" Now it was Dr Warren's turn to be puzzled, "Oh I'm sorry," She apologized, "I just assumed you knew"

"Knew what...?" Joyce asked slowly, giving the doctor a pointed look that Xander had seen her use with Buffy many a time when she wanted her eldest daughter to give her a straight answer.

"Well, Mrs Giles..." The doctor smiled, "You're pregnant"

There was major silent shockage throughout.


	10. Wrecked

Rabidreject- thank you very much for reviewness. And you think you've figured it out do ya? I wonder what it is you're thinking...hmmm...hehe. Like you said, guess we'll see if you're right. hehe.

Jason Barnett- not bad? well, erm, thanks. and well, you wrote a lot there, but i'll respond to what I can. Rack gets dealt with slightly differently in this chapter and he will have a later part in this season, before the season finale, and as for everything else...well, you'll just have to see how everything plays out, including the Xander/Anya wedding arc. Thanks for review

zigpal-yay- my loved claps. and jumping up and down as well? ooh- gives me a happy. hehe :-). So you like the baby storyline then, I'm guessing? Hehe. And as for the fertile comment well, Anya (and Buffy as well...atch) has a few blunt comments to say on that very matter. haha. And well, this pregnancy is gonna go a little crazy, particularly at the beginning because...well, you'll see. but yes, Rupert (i've gotten freakily used to using that name now, haven't typed it so often. Perhaps I should start getting worried...)

* * *

A/N: Okay, after this, until like mid next-week my updates might be kinda of all over the place. the big finando (i.e the wedding) is this Saturday so obviously, I'm of the extremely busy. Also, there is going to be LOTS of non-episody chapters between this chapter and Gone, because I have several storylines cooking in my head that are just dying to be served up. Got a lot of returns from non-cast regulars...mwa haha. Anyhoo...yes...moving on.

* * *

The group were still in a state of shock when Xander was driving them away from the hospital. Xander was the first to speak, although he was turning bright red as he spoke. 

"Right you guys said that erm," He cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with the topic, "That it was that time in the shop last week...with the memory lossage?"

Giles and Joyce nodded silently, still looking entirely stunned.

"Right erm...Anya," He turned to his fiancée, "You're better at this than I am. You tell 'em what we were saying" Satisfied with this escape route, Xander returned his attention back to the road.

Anya turned in her seat slightly, craning her neck round so she could directly talk to the couple.

"What Mr Tongue Tied is trying to say here is that research studies show that people over the age of forty find it a lot harder to get pregnant, due to their decrease in fertility due to one of the many effects of aging," Anya said bluntly, "However _you_ _two_ had that one time last year and got pregnant and one time last week and got pregnant again- so you must be very, very fertile for you to be impregnated after just one instance of unprotected sex"

"That was in no way awkward Anya," Xander, wishing she hadn't gone into so much detail or spoke as bluntly, but clearly she had been thinking this over more than he had.

"Well..." Joyce murmured, looking down in her lap, not meeting the eyes of either Anya or Xander, "It wasn't just one time"

"Yeah, that's what Anya was saying- about last time" Xander nodded, eyes still firmly on the road as he spoke.

"No, ah...she means...it erm...wasn't just, uh, 'one time' in the...in the shop. Last week" Giles explained, just as quietly as Joyce.

"Oh," Xander nodded, before the full implication of what Giles had said sank in and Xander's eyes went impossibly wide, "_OH..._"

"How many times?" Anya asked simply, without any embarrassment at all.

"Anya!" Xander quickly reprimanded, before either Joyce or Giles would be forced to answer.

"What?" Anya asked him, completely stumped as to why he was yelling her name, "I was just asking..."

"Well don't," He told her quickly.

"Okay, fine...I won't ask..." Anya grumbled, falling into a sulk as she sat in her seat. When Xander's attention was fully back on the road, Anya craned her neck around to Giles and Joyce again and mouthed silently 'how many?'

* * *

They arrived at the Magic Box a little while later, where Joyce and Giles got out to head to their own car. 

"Are you sure..._either_ of you are okay to drive?" Xander asked, looking at the couple with deep concern, "You still seem a little zoned out"

"No, no, we're fine," Joyce told him, "Thank you Xander"

"Coz, I could like drive you home and then pick up your car" He explained, really not keen on the concept of one of them being at the wheel right now.

"No, that's quite alright," Giles told him and without another word he and Joyce headed to their car.

Xander watched them go for a moment, before shaking his head in disbelief as he and Anya got back in their own car.

"Jeez, don't we ever have normal uneventful days?" He asked in exasperation and Anya just shook her head.

"No"

* * *

Light was just starting to creep up over the horizon. It was nearly dawn. Joyce was just glad Tara was at home, looking after Dawn- well, it would be Buffy looking after her now after returning from patrol. 

"Can you just stop here?" Joyce asked Giles as they were reaching 1630 and Giles frowned a little at the request, but pulled over at the sidewalk before the house. "We...before we go in there, we need to talk"

"Yes," Giles couldn't argue with that.

"This is a shock, right?" Joyce asked, as though requesting confirmation.

"Undoubtedly," Giles nodded.

"Yeah...I mean it wasn't like we planned or...and after what happened last time ..."

Giles didn't say anything in reply to that. They both remembered all too well what had happened last time. Thanks to Glory.

"B-But it's happened now and happening means you can't go back...on what's happened I mean..." Joyce was quickly falling into babble mode and her hands were shaking a little with nervousness. He put his own hand over hers to calm her down and her hands seemed to stop shaking immediately. "Thank you," She smiled at him, before carrying on with the point she was trying to reach, "But...but this shock that, that we can't _help_ but feel...it's in a good way right? A good shock?"

Giles seemed to think this over for a minute or two, genuinely considering his answer deeply and Joyce worried that he was going to say no, it wasn't. That no matter whether he wanted this or not, with the things that went on in their lives it just wasn't safe and so no, no it wasn't a good shock. But when he finally turned to look at her, the corners of his mouth were turned up in a small smile.

"I'm not saying it won't be difficult but I-" He didn't even get to finish his sentence before she kissed him spontaneously on the lips. When she finally pulled away he was quite breathless. "W-well...uh...that was...erm...a...well," He looked at her, "A lot of that was _new" _He said, straightening his glasses as he finally got his bearings back, and she just smiled at him.

"C'mon," She said, pointing out their house just ahead, "Let's drive the four more seconds to home. And in that short time figure out how to tell Dawn and Buffy"

"Oh lord," Giles sighed, "Dawn- no problem, but ah, would you mind telling Buffy? Frankly, telling her myself, would give me the feeling akin to risking all of my limbs"

"She's not that bad," Joyce laughed at him, but he just gave her a look that summed up his feelings on the matter entirely. "Okay maybe she is. But she was perfectly fine last time..." She smiled comfortingly at him as they pulled up in the driveway, but Giles didn't look so convinced.

* * *

Opening the front door, the sound of cartoon voices poured out, hurting their ears after a whole night without sleep and yet so very chock full of shock. 

"Hello?" Joyce called out, "Buffy? Dawn?"

The couple walked into the living room to find Tara and Dawn fast asleep on the sofa, ignorant to the cartoons playing on the TV screen. Joyce and Giles looked at one another, mutually puzzled by this scene, before heading forward to gently awake the two.

"Tara? Dawn, sweetie," Joyce whispered, tapping Dawn's shoulder lightly and the two girls blinked their eyes open slowly, looking extremely tired.

"Mom? Giles? What's...where...what time is it?" Dawn blearily searched around for her alarm clock to tell her the time, when she realized she wasn't in her bedroom, but in fact downstairs on the sofa with Tara.

"What time is it?" Tara asked, looking around for a clock.

"Light time," Dawn answered, seeing the light that was slowly pouring through the small slither of a gap in the curtains.

"Why didn't anyone wake us up?" Tara asked, suddenly fully awake and very concerned.

"Buffy didn't come home last night?" Giles asked and Tara shook her head.

"No that I remember...god, I just shut my eyes for a minute"

Joyce walked up the stairs at a brisk pace, heading straight to Buffy's room. She pushed the door open to find the bed empty and the sheets still neat and tidy. She hadn't come home all night and that thought made Joyce sick to the stomach.

"Tara's right. She didn't come home last night," Joyce said to the others, coming back down the stairs, "Oh god, where is she? What if something's happened to her?"

"She'll be fine," Giles told her, giving her a reassuring hug, "It's only just sunrise now...so, more than likely it was a heavy patrol and she's just walking back here now"

Joyce nodded more times than was necessary, evidently showing that her fears for Buffy were not allayed.

"Where were you two all night anyway?" Dawn asked with a frown, "Tara said you were researching...but I didn't, like, think it would go on _that _long. Did you guys find anything?"

"No, not yet," Giles told her, "Finding ourselves nothing but dead ends actually. But also-"

"We weren't researching _all_ this time Dawn," Joyce told her daughter, "We were...we were at the hospital"

"At the hospital?" Dawn asked, panicking, "What? Why? What happened? Is it something bad? It's not like last year is it where-"

"No, no it's nothing bad," Joyce told her calmly, and Dawn quietened down and relaxed.

"It wasn't?" Tara asked. She had known the two had been at the hospital with Anya and Xander, but Xander hadn't told her why, because at the time of his call, they hadn't known themselves.

"No," Giles shook his head, "Actually, I believe it's something one would classify as..." He smiled at Joyce briefly before looking back at an intrigued Dawn and Tara, "Good news"

"Good news?" Dawn asked, slightly suspicious.

"At least...we hope you think it's good news," Joyce elaborated.

"Okay, I know you two like this whole vagueing up things scene," Dawn said patiently, "But the audience is still _kinda_ needing back story"

"Erm...Dawn..." Joyce took a deep breath, "I'm pregnant"

There was a pause as Dawn and Tara both took this information in. The pause was a very silent one. That is, until Dawn let out her high-pitched trademark squeal and hugged her Mom tightly.

"I take it you _do_ think it's a good thing then," Joyce said from beneath the overly-enthusiastic hug.

"Of course I do!" Dawn exclaimed, "This is _so_ cool!"

While Dawn embraced the uber-enthusiasm, Tara just did her smile that while being small and sweet showed that she was genuinely happy for the couple.

"That's...wonderful," She said. Tara had never said congratulations for things such as pregnancy. It seemed to compare it to winning a race, which wasn't what it was like at all.

"Thank you, Tara," Giles said since Joyce was preoccupied with a hyped Dawn. Tara saw that while Giles was being quite calm and reserved about the entire thing (embracing the British stereotype once again), he was genuinely excited about the entire thing. More so than he was letting on. Actually, Tara believed, if he did let it all out he would be reacting much in the same way Dawn was right now.

More could have been said on the news, but at that point Buffy wandered in through the front door, looking extremely bruised and worn out. And she was limping.

"My god, Buffy what happened?" Joyce asked, immediately all over her, checking the bruises on her arm, the red mark on her cheek, the tears on her clothes.

"Erm...it was just...erm..."

"Did you come across the demon?" Giles asked, concerned and Buffy saw that everyone was looking on at her in worry.

"Demon?" She asked in confusion, wondering what the heck he was talking about.

"The one who attacked the security guard in the museum," He explained.

"Oh...uh no. Not that just..." She smiled tightly at them, "Just a vampire"

"A vampire did, uh, did this?" Giles asked in disbelief. A singular vampire rarely got the better of Buffy.

"Yeah...just caught me off guard is all," She said, showing them that tight smile once again, "Erm...not that it isn't nice to see you...but what, Tara, what are you doing here?"

"She was kind enough to look after Dawn last night," Joyce told her.

"Oh, it was no trouble," Tara assured Joyce, "We had a good time didn't we Dawny?"

Dawn nodded with a smile, but Buffy just looked as panicked and worried about Dawn as Joyce had been about her a moment ago.

"Tara was...why?" She turned to her Mom and Giles, "Where were you two?"

"I...ah..erm.." Both Giles and Joyce suddenly became a little uncomfortable and started stumbling over their words.

"You two know you're kinda freaky when you _both_ do that, right?" Buffy asked them.

"They were at the hospital," Dawn told her sister and Buffy frowned in concern.

"Hospital, why were you at the- wait," She looked at Dawn questioningly, "Why were you grinning when you told me that?" She looked around at everyone, clearly suspicious at the way they were all behaving, "What's going on...?"

"Buffy...remember last week after we...well, we all lost our memories?" Joyce asked and Buffy nodded.

"Yeah..."

"And you found us in a, well, a compromising position?"

"Well, I try _not _to remember that part," Buffy told her, "But yeah..."

"Well-"

"She's pregnant!" Dawn burst out, earning a glare from both her Mom and Giles, "Sorry..." She apologized, "I think I'm just a little hyped"

"I'm sorry, that was my crazy ear," Buffy told them all, "Mom's what?"

"Pregnant," Joyce said with a weak smile, as she waited for Buffy's response.

"_Again?_" Buffy asked incredulously, "From just...how freakin' fertile are you?"

Joyce just smiled a little nervous smile and Buffy sighed.

"Well I guess...do people say congratulations for these things?" Buffy asked the others, with a puzzled frown.

"I've heard they hug," Dawn told her, as though this were some far away unheard of concept.

"Well...erm...I guess it's hugging time..." Buffy shrugged with a smile, before giving her Mom and Giles hugs.

"oh sweetheart, it means so much that you're okay with this." Joyce told her, "You are okay with it, right?"

"Yeah sure," Buffy nodded with a smile, "I mean sure it's a little wiggy...a mini Giles is definitely gonna be something...well, _odd_ to see, but I was happy for you...last year and I'm still happy for you now"

"Oh," Joyce pushed Buffy's hair behind her ears lovingly and Buffy saw she was getting all teary eyed, "You're so grown-up"

"So...what are you guys up to now?" Dawn asked, bringing herself back into the conversation.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you guys but I'm bed bound," Buffy told them all, before shuffling her way toward and up the stairs to bed.

"I'd better get going too," Tara told them.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay for breakfast?" Joyce asked, gesturing in the direction of the kitchen as though to emphasize the point.

"No...thank you...but it's fine. I should probably be getting back to...back to...my d-dorm." Tara smiled at them all, before leaving.

"You guys are for awakeness, right?" Dawn asked Joyce and Giles hopefully.

"Well as much as sleep is particularly appealing right now I do have to make that call to London about the diamond that was stolen the other night." Giles said, stifling a yawn as he did so. The moment he finished, Joyce started with her own cat-sized yawn.

"Sorry," She apologized, "But what with the hospital and...ev-ev-everything..." She was yawning again. She shook her head as though to shake away the tiredness, "I'm aw...I'm really not awake"

"So you're going to bed too?" Dawn asked, a little deflated.

"No," Joyce shook her head, "I have to be at the gallery for a new shipment anyway. I'm just going to rest my eyes for a bit on the settee..then shower, get dressed...the usual. Which _means_ just for this morning, would you mind making your own breakfast?" Her face brightened as she thought of a better idea (After all, Dawn's cooking adventures tended to end up burning disasters)"Or, or Rupert can make you something"

And with that Motherly suggestion, Joyce happily flopped down on the sofa and closed her eyes, welcoming the restful darkness it brought.

* * *

"Joyce...Joyce," 

Joyce was vaguely aware of someone nudging her shoulder persistently. She wished they would stop so she half heartedly swatted the presence away. It didn't do any good.

"Joyce..."

She opened her eyes to see it was Willow who was doing the shoulder-nudging. And there she was with Amy.

"Willow?" Joyce frowned, "Why are you...what time is it?"

"I just came back with Amy to pick up some of her stuff...for her new place," Willow thought better of telling Joyce of their overnight magic-a-thon. No doubt Joyce would run off and tell Giles and then he would get all-knowing Watcher on her and bore the hell out of Willow.

"Oh, right," Joyce nodded, fully awakening now and seeming to gather some recognition of what was going on, "Amy's new...right. What time is it?" She asked, even though as she did so she looked down at her own watch. One pm. The shipment had been arriving at twelve. And she hadn't changed or had a shower yet. Damn.

"One o clock..." Willow told her anyway, "Sorry if this sounds all offensive-y but you look a wreck- tired wise, I mean"

"You're not looking so awake yourself," Joyce replied taking in both Amy and Willow's worn and exhausted appearance

"Oh, we uh, we kinda had an all-nighter at the Bronze," Willow told her, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine...just catching up on rest I suppose." Joyce reasoned, "We didn't get from the hospital till early in the morning so-"

"Hospital? Why were you at the hospital?" Willow asked hurriedly, concern filling her eyes.

"Oh, we had...and then..." Joyce sighed, deciding to just say it outright, "I'm pregnant"

Willow's eyes widened.

"With Giles' baby?" She asked, her eyes getting even wider as she spoke.

"No," Joyce shook her head, looking deadly serious, "From the mailman,"

Willow frowned, now even more concerned than she was before and Joyce rolled her eyes.

"Yes, of course from Rupert!"

"Oh...yeah, right. Of course," Willow said, realizing how gullible she'd just been. She'd thought she was past that stage.

* * *

"These demons are all starting to look alike," Xander complained, later on in the Magic Box, "Reptile, reptile with horn, reptile with gills..." 

"I just got off the phone with one of the curators at the British Museum," Giles told them all (that is the three that were there researching- Xander, Anya and Buffy) as he walked back into the room, "Apparently the diamond that was in the Sunnydale Museum has no known mystical properties and the council, actually, weren't even keeping an eye on it. They said the most powerful thing it would be able to do would be to concentrate- that is, uh, strengthen and create a focus point- for magical energy that's already been created"

"I'm gonna take a wild stab in the dark and say that's not a good thing," Xander guessed.

"Quite," Giles agreed, "If we knew what energy was already being created- that would help a bit with our research." He sat down at the table, taking his glasses off abruptly as he did so- a clear sign he was frustrated, "But I'm afraid we don't know a bloody thing"

"Well, we know the diamond's definitely connected now, right?" Buffy checked, trying to focus on the positive, "So now we can narrow our search down to energy creating...frost making...demons" She sighed, "You're right. We got nothing."

"Anya, you appear positively fixated," Giles commented on how avidly Anya was reading one of the texts, "Have you found something?"

Anya didn't answer, she just carried on ready.

"Ahn, what you got?" Xander asked but yet again, she didn't reply, "Great," Xander rolled his eyes, "Not even married and she's already started ignoring me. Ahn..." He tugged at the book she was reading and from within out fell a bridal magazine...and suddenly it all made sense.

"I'm sorry!" She exclaimed in apology once her secret was discovered, "It's just...this is pointless! We can't find anything and we still have tons of decisions to make on the wedding anyway. I still haven't decided whether to put my bridesmaids in cocktail dresses or the traditional burlap and larva-"

"The traditional what?" Xander asked and while Anya rambled on about demonic heritage, Giles looked at Xander with a questioning look.

"What?" Xander asked.

"Speaking of tradition...I believe you, for lack of a better term, owe me one"

"Owe you one what? A tradition?" Xander was completely perplexed.

"Well, actually..." Giles reasoned, "If you'll remember my own wedding and what position you upheld"

"Yeah, I was- oh wait, you wanna be best man?" Xander asked, his nose scrunching up as he said the question, clearly iffy on the idea.

"Well, to be perfectly honest, I believe it's owed to me" Giles replied smoothly and Xander winced.

"Well, ya see...I kinda already asked Will to be my best man- er woman- best woman"

"Best W...Willow as- why isn't she a bridesmaid like Buffy, Dawn and Tara...?" Giles was flabbergasted and it was only Buffy that stopped the conversation from going any further.

"Guys! Hello? Something _still_ out there remember?"

* * *

And it was still out there four hours later and they were still _in_ there, researching. And finding nothing.

"Still all hard at work?" Joyce asked, walking into the store.

"Working. Working. And yet still? Nothing," Xander told her, clearly frustrated with the situation, "A big load of nada- that's what we got"

"Our research hasn't, as of yet, led us in any affirmative direction," Giles explained and Joyce nodded in understanding.

"Anything I can do?" She asked, "Willow's taken Dawn to the movies so the house is empty...tidy...and so leaving me with nothing to do but fight with the IRS."

"It's nice that you prefer us to...the IRS," Xander was highly sarcastic, "But," He added, his tone changing to genuine, "feel free to take several useless books and research through them"

* * *

Xander was right, Giles decided and found himself horrified by the thought. Yet, the truth of the matter was that Xander was indeed right. This research was useless. They had nothing to narrow down their search and nothing they'd found was even mildly related to the occurrences at the museum.

It was also getting increasingly difficult for him to research at all as he was reading the heavy book one-handedly, while his other arm was wrapped around Joyce, who had, after no more than twenty minutes of attempted research help, drifted off, eventually getting comfortable lay on his chest.

"Giles, we should just call it a night," Buffy said, shutting another book closed. "Look, even Mom- she of the inventory focus- is fast asleep"

"Yeah, but that's related more to her state of pregnancy than the research," Anya informed her factually.

"Pardon?" Giles asked. No matter how long he knew Anya, he doubted he would ever cease being surprised by the random facts she continued spouting out.

"Fatigue. A common symptom in the early stages of pregnancy. You can also expect moodiness in a general bad way as well as unpredictable mood swings and vomiting."Anya said this without any particular emotion, as though she were merely reading from a book. She cocked her head to the side in thought, as she contemplated all the symptoms she had just listed off. She then looked at Giles with a bright smile, "I wish you the best of luck with that"

"Pregnancy symptoms or not, Mom's got a point," Buffy commented, "I say we all sack it"

"I concur!" Xander said enthusiastically, attempting to sound authoritative and upper-classy. He failed.

"Oh thank God...the nightmare_ ends,_" Anya groaned, immediately shoving all books as far away from her as possible, as though if they were in the vicinity they may jump up at her and force her to read.

* * *

"Dawn!" Buffy called out as she, Joyce and Giles returned home. There was no answer, "She must still be at the movies with Will," Buffy guessed aloud and the other two nodded in agreement, when suddenly, all three of them heard a scuffling coming from upstairs. "Dawn?" Buffy checked, just to be sure, but again there was no Dawn to reply.

Gesturing for the other two to be as quiet as possible, Buffy starting creeping up the stairs to find the intruder. As she got closer to the noise, Buffy realized it was coming from the small spare room that had temporarily been Amy's. Buffy crept forward silently, before kicking the door wide open. Amy was startled so much by this she even let out a little high pitched yelp, that caused Joyce and Giles to follow Buffy up the stairs towards the sound of the noise.

"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked, eying the fact that Amy had been frantically searching under the bed.

"Amy?" Joyce asked, confused by the presence of the young girl, who, in all honesty, right now wasn't looking too fab.

"Uh oh, busted," Amy grimaced, not seeming quite all there.

"Why are you here if Willow's not?" Buffy asked, already suspicious.

"Willow's probably..." Amy muttered momentarily before breaking off.

"Willow's probably _where_?" Buffy asked, taking a step into the room, and therefore a menacing step towards Amy.

"She..."

Buffy then noticed the packets Amy was holding tightly in her hand.

"What is this?" Buffy asked, snatching it out of her hand. She looked at in distaste, before shoving it in Giles' hands, then returning her attention to Amy.

"It's not what you think it is!" Amy told them all urgently, "It's sage!"

"That _is_ what I think it is," Buffy told her harshly. "What's going on? Where's Willow taken Dawn?"

"Wait...she's not at the movies?" Joyce asked, confused, "I thought Willow was taking her out for the night"

"She was," Buffy agreed, before fixing Amy with an even glare as she spoke, "But something here tells me that's not where she's taken her, is it?"

"Well...she's as bad as me. Needs this stuff. More than me. Definitely. She'll need her fix," Amy babbled out, clearly nervous.

"Fix?" Buffy asked in a tone of voice that clearly commanded 'talk'.

"At Rack's."

"She wouldn't," Giles suddenly spoke up, "She wouldn't sink that low,"

He seemed to be speaking to himself, but Buffy immediately pulled him up on it.

"Wouldn't what?"

"Rack. A powerful sorcerer. Bad majiks with a maximum high."

"So like drugs..." Buffy reasoned, "Only with magic."

"And with Rack that makes it even more dangerous," Giles told her deadly serious.

"How do you know..." Buffy trailed off as she realized she knew the answer to her own question, "From when you were running with Ethan and the rest..." She sighed, "How bad is it?"

"And she's taken Dawn there..." Giles said in horrified realization, ignoring Buffy's question as he seemed to be talking to himself again, "That stupid bloody ignorant girl!" He exclaimed and Buffy and Joyce could only take a moment to assume he was talking about Willow and not Dawn, before he had rushed off, down the stairs and out the door. Joyce and Buffy quickly followed, leaving Amy to get out while she could.

* * *

"Giles- do you even know where this place is?" Buffy asked as she and her Mom finally caught up with him down one of Sunnydale's darker alleys.

"He cloaks it- with several hundreds of charms if I'm not mistaken," Giles told her, never ceasing in his search, "The only way to sense it's presence is if you're tuned into the dark powers running through the city"

"But how-" Buffy began to ask, but Giles cut her off with a look that clearly said 'don't ask that question; you won't like the answer', "Into the dark age again then...?" Buffy smiled a weak, unamused smile as it all fell into place.

"What?" Joyce asked, initially confused, but getting it a split second later, "Rupert- what are you...you can't even think of- we don't even know that Willow's there. If she said she was going to take Dawn to the movies then why-"

"Because once you've got a taste of Rack's magic, it's damned near impossible to go back," Giles told her harshly, "Willow will be hooked already and she won't care about what danger she's placing Dawn in, only that she gets her fix. It doesn't matter to her what may happen to Dawn because of it " He sighed, his manner becoming warmer as he realized his harsh tone had caused Joyce to take a small step back as she was slightly frightened and taken aback by his attitude, "I'm sorry it's just...Buffy was right. It _is_ like drugs. Only the effects are stronger, the fix is higher, and the addiction is worse. Instead of it being in your system for only a short time after the drug's effects last...the majiks- they course through your veins- not just traveling through them, but becoming one with them. Tapping into every fiber of your being, until you are no longer able to differentiate where you begin and the majiks stop. _That_ is why we need to find her _now._ Dawn may very well be in trouble. And although she may not accept it, so is Willow"

He resumed his frantic search, leaving Joyce and Buffy stood there, completely stunned by this detailed and empathic description. A moment later they followed on.

* * *

It felt like they had been searching for hours, though it couldn't have been more than minutes, when Giles came to an abrupt stop.

"What?" Buffy asked, "Is this it? You found it?"

When Giles stepped forward and disappeared, Buffy frowned.

"I'll take that as a yes," She decided, looking at the space in front of her ominously. She had no idea what lay on the other side- and she wasn't prepared either. She knew she would have to though. She was the Slayer after all and,more to the point, it was Dawn and Willow.

Buffy took a deep breath before going to step forward, embracing her brave slayeryness. But it wasn't the Slayer that took the first step, it was the Mother.

Buffy rushed forward into the space immediately after her.

"Would you not do that?" Buffy asked her anxiously, before looking around at where they now were. Lowlifes was an understatement. "Oh god...but where's Willow?"

"Ripper,"

At the sound of that name Buffy rolled her eyes in annoyance

"Man, I hate it when I hear people say that name," She said,as from experience, hearing that name was usually followed by extreme badness. Buffy turned to the sound of the voice and saw a creepy looking guy, who could be no other than the infamous Rack.

"Haven't see you in an age," Rack continued, leaning against the door frame casually, as he talked directly to Giles, ignoring the other two despite the fact that one was The Slayer. Clearly, and scarily, he didn't view her as a threat, "Or any of your little power group actually...found something bigger didn't you?"

"You could say that," Giles replied, his voice remaining so even, it was impossible to tell what emotions he was feeling.

Rack grinned a predatory grin, bringing his palms together, before slowly parting them as crackles of blue energy flowed between the two hands.

"Always knew there'd be a time when you'd need me again...come back for more now have you?"

"Not exactly," Giles replied calmly, before, without any apparent warning whatsoever, he rushed Rack, grabbing him roughly by the throat and shoving him against the wall. He was lifted slightly off the floor by the effort and Rack's toes trailed on the floor. "Willow. How much and where is she now?"

"Strawberry. You're after strawberry..." Rack choked out. Buffy thought he was weakening through loss of oxygen. That is until he used both hands to propel Giles right back, sending him into the opposite wall. "You always were one for brute force," Rack grinned evilly, "Your friend, Ethan, was the one that used the majiks to fight. _That_ would be more useful now-"

Rack was cut off abruptly as he was knocked to the floor by a powerful left hook on Giles' part.

"And yet," Giles commented lightly- thought there was that familiar edge of menace in his voice, looking down at Rack's crumpled form. Buffy wanted to intervene, or to help (she wasn't yet sure which) but something in her made her stay as still where she was stood as her Mother was. Despite the fact it was Willow and Dawn involved, she knew that for once, this wasn't her fight. "Willow, she came here tonight didn't she?" Giles asked in a way that suggested Rack and he were having this conversation over tea and crumpets.

"Strawberry came – wanted a little wild dance," Rack grinned, "Brought a girl with her. A strange power in that one..." Rack seemed intrigued by this.

"It's one you shall never touch I assure you," Giles told him, hauling Rack up by the scruff of his neck. "Now where is Willow?"

"Not here. She got hers, had ourselves a fine little time, but she isn't here now. That's all you'll get from me," he grinned that creepy grin again that sent Buffy's teeth on edge, "Now go...if you wanna catch her that is," He smirked at the thought of them even attempting to catch 'strawberry', "And make sure to take The Slayer, her-" He paused on 'her' as he looked at Joyce, scrutinizing her. It made her extremely uncomfortable- his eyes were dark,almost completely black and seemed to have untold depths in them that suggested there was more to him that what he appeared, something darker- but she forced herself to stand her ground, "-and whatever strange power's growing inside of her."

Instinctively and protectively, Joyce put a hand to her stomach, wondering what the hell he meant by that strange comment.

Without another word to Rack, Giles put his hand on the small of Joyce's back to gently nudge her forward, silently telling her and Buffy that they were leaving. Now.

"Remember...if you ever feel that darkness stirring again...needing a little pick-me-up...I'm always here and stocking, Ripper," Rack called out casually as the three of them left.

* * *

"What did he mean?" Joyce asked as they exited the alley, "About 'whatever strange power'?"

Any sort of suggestion or reply was prevented from being voiced by the sound of a loud, high-pitched, panicked scream. A scream that undeniably belonged to Dawn. The three immediately ran in the direction of the scream without a second thought, with Buffy leading in front by about five yards as her Slayer speed kicked in more and more.

They finally came to a dusty, deserted road under an old bridge. A car had crashed into one of the bridge walls and Will was barely conscious at the wheel. Dawn, however, was having a much worser time of it as a terrifying looking demon came after her. He grabbed her by the leg and tossed her into one of the concrete pillars, falling to the floor hard.

"Dawn!" Joyce exclaimed, rushing towards her daughter as her _other_ daughter rushed the monster, tackling him to the ground with all her might and as the fight went on, Giles pitching in where he could to help, Joyce tended to Dawn, "Sweetie, are you okay?"

"My arm..." Dawn whimpered, cradling her limp and bloody arm with the other, "I think- I think it's broken"

"Oh my poor baby," Joyce said, almost crying herself, as she gently saw to the arm, surmising from what she saw and felt, that Dawn was right- it was broken, "It's okay now. Everything's gonna be okay," She told her soothingly and with her good arm, Dawn hugged her tightly, clearly terrified.

They both looked over in the direction of the fight just in time to see the monster implode, revealing a shaky-looking Willow crackling with energy, her eyes completely black, before she collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted.

"Mom? Is she okay?" Buffy asked, running over towards them with Giles, "Dawn- are you okay? What happened?"

"It- he was after Willow," Dawn explained, "She, she made the car drive by itself and then-"

"Oh god, Dawn, there's blood-" Willow said in shock as she stumbled over to them, looking completely horrified.

"She needs to get to the hospital," Giles stated, taking a look at Dawn's arm and the three of them helped Dawn up carefully, all of them ignoring Willow.

"Is she okay? Is she okay?" Willow asked urgently, "Buffy? Joyce, please I nee-"

"Not now, please Willow?" Joyce asked, looking at the girl sadly, "I know you're ...you're...concerned, but please. I can't. Not yet."

As Joyce looked away from Willow, returning her attention to Dawn, Will felt that was worse than if Joyce had shouted at her. It was pure disappointment, as though she could barely even look at her. Though Willow would never say it, she kinda saw Joyce like a Mom to her, more than her real Mom in some respects, and to have her so...disappointed...disgusted with her, really hurt.

They were all walking away from her. She couldn't let them. They couldn't just walk away from her, leave her here, so guilt-ridden; it would kill her. She ran forward, in front of them, stopping to stand in front of Dawn.

"Dawny, Dawny, please, I'm sorry. It was an accident- I just didn't see- I'm so so sorry-"

Dawn's slap stung more than it should have and it stunned Willow into complete silence. As she stood there, Giles, Joyce and Buffy, too shocked and hurt to deal with Willow right now, began leading Dawn away again.

"It was an accident," Willow cried, breaking down completely as she fell to her knees in sobs, "Don't...oh my god..."

The group stopped, obviously torn over what to do. Buffy looked at them all with a small, resignated smile, before turning back to head to Willow. Giles silently offered to help, but Buffy shook her head. No, right now- it was just her and Willow. No one else. Buffy didn't want anyone else around and Willow probably wouldn't be able to handle it, the state she was in. No, it just had to be the two of them.

* * *

It was late on in the night and Willow was in the spare room at Revello Drive, a complete and utter wreck while Dawn was fast asleep in her own room, knocked out by the painkillers.

"I don't think she even notices that it's not her dorm, the state she's in right now," Buffy said as she walked into the living where her Mom and Giles were sat on the sofa, clearly replaying in their minds everything that had gone on tonight, "She's going to quit." She told them, "The majiks. She knows what she did was wrong and she wants to stop. She's quitting, cold turkey"

Joyce nodded in acceptance of this fact, but Giles shook his.

"No" He said simply.

"No?" Buffy asked.

"No," Giles repeated, "She can't"

"What do you mean she can't?" Buffy challenged, "Giles, she can't carry on like this. It's destructive, it's-"

"I know and that's exactly why she can't stop" He told her, "Quitting so abruptly would put Willow in a dangerous and volatile state of mind- unpredictable and possible to snap at any time. Not to mention the dangerous effects the withdrawal symptoms could cause alone"

"So what is she meant to do?" Joyce asked the question that had been on the tip of Buffy's tongue.

"She needs to start from the beginning," Giles stated calmly, with a slight reflective sigh at the thought of it all, "As Tara has been doing, been trying to get Willow to do also, all along. Step-by-step, the basics, as though she were just being introduced to it all. It's my fault,really"

"What? Giles-"

"No," With a raised hand Giles stopped Buffy's protests, "I let her fall into it too fast, requiring her to do spells that were way beyond her experience. It's no wonder she's ended up taking this path. Which is why I'm going to have to teach her, teach her every basic step by very slow step," He sighed a sigh that just oozed pure guilt, "It's my responsibility"

"You sure this is the best thing for Will?" Buffy asked sceptically, "I mean what if even the basics just send her more majik-crazy?"

"They won't," Giles assured, "Believe me, I know from experience that this is the only way she will gain control again and not..." He sighed another heavy sigh, "and not have the majiks controlling her."


	11. Children

DevJannz2- Thank you for the review, it really meant a lot to me what you said and I'm very glad you're enjoying the stories so much. And as for the Spuffy sitch, you're right- it is a tool for character development- but, if all goes to plan, it will be handled very differently in this story. So thanks, and I hope you like these little pre-'Gone' chapter story-arcs and everything else that comes after

Zigpal-Yay, the clapping of the hands. Mundo appreciation. And yes everything is all woo and hoo on the baby front, but it's gonna get wicked complicated in a wee while. As for Rack- well, he's gonna be coming in more than he did on TV, but not always in a conventional way...well, you'll see.;-) hehe. Thanks for the review.

Rabidreject- Thanks a lot for the review, and yes Giles will be training Will- which starts in this chapter atch, hehe- but obviously, won't be as simple as all that. I've actually got a few plans for the training sessions with Will, one of which is gonna be wicked fun to write. hehe.

* * *

A/N: Argh- Wedding this weekend. Argh. So updates will probably be sometime in the middle of next week, maybe earlier if I can find some time to myself. :-)

* * *

It was a sound he was growing accustomed to waking up to. Though the sound, or the event causing the sound, didn't just occur in the morning. It was more of a random intervals throughout the day sort of thing. 

The sound of Joyce's very close relationship with morning sickness. Which despite it's name, did not stick to just the morning. Xander's sandwich inventions had been banned from the house and also Joyce's presence for the sake of _everybody's_ welfare. Every time she came within six feet of them she was already retching. Then again, considering what Xander put on his sandwiches, perhaps it wasn't a pregnancy symptom at all.

The sound of vomiting stopped just in time for Giles to fully wake up. He then registered that the throwing up had been replaced by the sound of something else. Something banging against a wall...or something. Listening closely, he realized that sound, like the previous one, was also coming from the bathroom.

He got up and saw Joyce knelt on her knees on the bathroom floor in front of the toilet and she was banging her head in frustration repeatedly against the sink basin- the source of the curious noise.

"Joyce, what are you doing?" He asked, walking over and gently turning her away from the offending sink.

"Getting fed up," She grumbled in response, "I know I've been through all this before...but I still believe there should be a point when you stop. And I mean _before_ the second trimester," She added.

He knelt beside her, putting his arm around and she rested her cheek on his hand, embracing the comfort it brought.

"I want everything to be okay," She told him quietly. He didn't have to ask her what she was referring to, because he had the exact same thoughts, the exact same worries, "So much could go wrong Rupert," She carried on, "So much...how can...I want so much to make sure it doesn't...but I can't." She wasn't even forming coherent sentences anymore as she could barely gave voice to the worries she carrying around with her. The same worries Giles was also holding onto. There were the normal worries of an expecting parent- miscarriages, the health of the baby, bringing it to term, was it going to be healthy when it was born...but then there were the other worries. The worries few other parents had to think about. Vampire attacks, demon attacks,things like Glory happening again. It was all too much for any parent to handle.

* * *

Willow was so nervous, it was unbelievable. Today was the day of her first session of training with Giles. Being trained in the majiks from the beginning. God, it sounded boring and tedious to her. The 'beginning'? She zoomed right past that in her junior year at high school. But then, that was exactly the problem wasn't it? Too much zooming and not enough time to stop and smell the conjuring. She knew deep down he _was_ right, but she didn't _want _him to be right. Him being right meant she had a lot of long, tedious months ahead of her spent in that training room at the back of the magic shop. Learning about the elements, and casting circles and grounding herself. As if she didn't know that already. 

As she reached the store she sighed. She had to stop thinking like this. She just had to bite the bullet and deal. She couldn't deny that she needed help...and well, this was what was on offer. Plus, Buffy never complained when Giles was training her Slayer wise...so Willow wouldn't complain when he was training her Wicca wise. It was all good. Hell, maybe she'd even like it. Well, that was a stretch...but still. Plus, hadn't Giles originally gotten fired for unconventional training methods? That could spice things up a bit. Maybe she wouldn't just be casting non-existent circles.

She took a deep breath and pushed the front door open to see Xander and Buffy were at the table, clearly still researching on this mysterious, unidentified, frost monster, Anya was at the counter serving a customer and Giles was sat at the far back,seeing to a not-so-well-looking Joyce.

When the telltale sound of the bell ringing above the door reached their ears, they all looked up to see Willow had walked in. She felt incredibly scrutinized.

"Willow," Giles said calmly in greeting, double checking Joyce was okay, before standing up and gesturing for Willow to head straight on to the training room. She gulped- though thankfully, silently,- before walking on to the designated destination.

* * *

Willow sat on the bench in the training room, her legs tightly together, her hands clasped in her lap with her head hung, looking very much like a child about to be punished by the Principal for slipping a mouse in the gumball jar.

"Willow," Giles said as he closed the door behind, cutting away the others in the store, "Do you know what magic is?"

Willow truly thought this was a trick question.

"What?"

"Do you know what magic is?" He repeated the question calmly, leaning against the wall that was opposite to where Willow was sat, waiting casually for her to answer.

"Yeah, of course I know Giles..." Willow replied, "That's why we're here, right?"

"Then what is it?" He asked and again Willow frowned, "What is magic?"

"Spells...Wicca...witchy stuff?" Willow struggled to verbalize what she knew magic to be.

"Rational people know how to define magic," Giles said, choosing to ignore Willow's answer for now, "Magic is an illusion. A slight of hand. Nothing more."

Willow frowned even more if that were possible. Giles was clearly in calm lecture mode, but she had yet to understand what he was lecturing toward.

"Another interpretation states that magic is mere fantasy," Giles continued, "Wishful thinking, the substance of which fairy tales are made, mythology- all of it frivolous tales for young children and the uneducated in science and realism. Very little value to anyone, it is of no consequence and the only truth to it is metaphoric. There is of course a third definition," Giles still held that casual tone and Willow knew, through this, that he had not yet hit the point he wanted to drive home, but still she listened attentively, "A malevolent description I'll have you, but a description nonetheless. That magic is the tool of evil sorcerers and magicians to control the innocent and gullible masses. But even the strongest of believers will sometimes claim that to be deep rooted superstition. Ah, and then we have the psychologists," Giles smiled at that as though he found the concept of people in that particular profession trying to define the truth of magic or the reasoning behind it, absolutely ridiculous, "That magic is all self-hypnosis or self-fulfilling prophecies. If you believe something will happen strongly enough that you will subconsciously try everything to make it happen. They're wrong," Giles suddenly lost his casual tone and his voice and words gained purpose and focus. Willow was rapt with attention, "All of those definitions are right in their own way I suppose you could reason, but the real truth...about magic...is nothing of what I've said. Not even your own definition was correct Willow"

Willow was confused, but not wishing to break the flow he had obviously developed, she chose not to interrupt.

"True magick practitioners would, although admitting there are vestiges of truth in each and every one of those definitions, initially reject them. They are not slight of hand, nor fantasy or practitioners of self-hypnosis, and they are not 'spells, Wicca and witchy stuff'" The way Giles repeated the phrase, made Willow inexplicably embarrassed at her own words and hazarded definition, "They consider themselves guardians, preservers of the Earth's sometimes forgotten power, truths and traditions" He walked over to her and took a seat beside Willow as he continued to talk, "Magic, at it's most basic, is the science of the Earth's hidden power. True practitioners know this and use it. For them there is nothing supernatural about magic at all..._natural_ is just a lot more complex and powerful than it initially appears. Now Willow," Giles looked at her directly, not allowing her to avoid his gaze, "What is magic?"

Willow was suddenly less inclined to describe these sessions as 'tedious'.

* * *

"Are you okay Mom?" Buffy asked in the shop, looking over at her Mother in concern. Joyce should have been at the gallery right now, but had felt too ill to continue her work with focus and so had decided to take the rest of the day off. However, since Dawn was at school and everyone else was gathered at the Magic Box, Joyce, in desperate need of some comforting company, had gone there instead of home.

"I'm fine," Joyce told her, "The room is meant to be spinning, right?"

Buffy immediately looked at her in panic and Joyce hurried to calm her down.

"Buffy, I'm kidding," She told her, "I just feel like the little headache I had before brought some friends along with. She thought for a moment, "and like I want to throw up the nothing I had to eat...but that's all normal- which is all good in my opinion"

The comment was said in flow with the rest, but Buffy immediately picked up on it.

"What do you mean?"

"About what?" Joyce asked and Buffy didn't know whether she truly was naïve to what she had just said, or she was just playing it.

"That oh-so-pointed-yet-smooth comment about normal equaling goodness?" Buffy prompted. Joyce saw Buffy's hurt expression as she said this and realized how her daughter had interpreted it.

"Oh honey, I don't mean that," Joyce told her, going over her to give her a quick reassuring hug, "I don't mean that at all. What I _meant_ was...if things are going normally...then it means everything's okay and there's less chance of...of something..." She trailed off, leaving Buffy (and the others who had listened in anyway) looking at her questioningly. "...going horribly wrong" Joyce finished with a sigh.

"...like last time...?" Buffy guessed kindly and Joyce nodded, before laughing a small nervous laugh.

"Silly isn't it?" She smiled a slightly embarrassed smile that was very familiar to Buffy- it was one her Mom always used when she was covering something up, usually her feelings- now that she thought on it, Buffy realized she'd used it numerous times in front of Giles before the two had started seeing one another... "Glory isn't here anymore...but I'm still-" Joyce cut off abruptly as she suddenly became aware that there were other people in the room, not just her and Buffy.

"Mom?" Buffy prompted, quietly and kindly, using the voice she reserved for when she was being the nice sister to Dawn. It was an odd experience using it on her Mother, "You're still what?"

Joyce bit her lip,clearly debating whether to tell Buffy, and by extension the others, or not.

"Scared," She finally said, and before she could regret the admittance, she quickly elaborated, "There's what happened...last time...of course, but there's other things as well. I mean the mid-life parenting thing is pretty daunting on it's own, and it's not like we even plan it, but it keeps happening and I can't help wondering, with everything you and Rupert and everyone are involved in, whether it's been forced- no, no, not forced- given to us for a reason, but then I think maybe something else is going to try and take it away again for that same reason...and I'm just...I don't know what to do"

Joyce smiled any concern away immediately after that admittance before asking Anya how far she had gotten with the wedding plans and Anya, as expected, jumped right in with showering out details.

Buffy wasn't so easily sidetracked though. For a moment there, when Joyce admitted her fears, the Mom Facade had fallen. It was the 'guess-what-Mom's-not-perfect' complex and Buffy knew, that when the Mom Facade did fall, it was cause for concern.

* * *

A little later on when the gang, although ceased in their research, were still at the Magic Box chatting (or rather listening) to Anya about the wedding, Buffy went over to her Mom who was sat on her own, sipping a glass of water.

"I'm sorry you're so worried," Buffy apologized and Joyce smiled at her.

"It's not your fault...just the practice of being a Mother," She told her just as Giles came out of the training room behind Willow, who for her part did not look as though she had been 'bored-to-death' by learning the basics.

"I know..." Buffy agreed reluctantly, "I just think it would be great if there was like a way for you guys to be told 'yeah it's gonna be okay'...or at least not the uber bad...you know...like an uber scan," Buffy smiled at her own description and Joyce couldn't help but smile back, Giles however just looked deep in thought. "Giles you have thinking-face," Buffy told him, "What's up?"

"I keep in contact with Wesley in L.A" Giles told them and both wife and stepdaughter/slayer frowned in confusion.

"That's...nice..." Buffy told him in puzzlement, "But why the share mode?"

"He's told me of a bar there, Caritas," Giles explained, "A demon bar mostly, but a benevolent one ran by an equally benevolent demon host. This demon is able to read one's destiny when one sings to him. The bar is karaoke..making the entire situation slightly more reasonable and less embarrassing"

"Read destinies?" Buffy asked, "Like tell you your future?"

"Of a sorts, yes," Giles nodded and getting the same idea the two of them looked at Joyce in interest. Joyce, for the moment, remained oblivious to what was going on in their heads. That is until she saw their calculating expressions.

"What?" She yelped, "Me? No, no, no," She was laughing nervously as she repeated the word, "No, I don't sing. I don't _ever_ sing. No." They continued to look at her, "Why can't Rupert sing?" She asked, "He's the Father and well...he can actually sing!"

"Well, I could..." Giles reasoned, "But then the demon will be reading _my_ destiny with very little about the baby. However, if he was reading you then he would also be able to read the child's as she or he is a literal part of you right now"

Joyce knew he was making sense, and it would help them if they knew what to expect with the baby and whether everything was going to be okay, but...singing? Joyce sighed.

"L.A?" She asked weakly, clearly resigned to her fate.

* * *

"So this guy...this demon guy...you sing to him and he's all fortune cookie?" Xander asked as Giles and Joyce packed the car for their very short stay in Los Angeles. They were leaving for the city today and for some reason the entire Scooby Gang felt the need to see them off at the house.

Buffy looked a little lost, knowing that the two of them were going to see Angel, if not intentionally, while she was still here in Sunnydale. Dawn just looked put out that she couldn't come along. And the rest? Well, they were just as nosy as usual, wanting more and more details on this karaoke future reading demon guy.

"Essentially...in theory, yes," Giles agreed as he slammed the car trunk closed. It must have looked an amusing scene to the neighbors- seven people gathered together in the driveway, five of which watching the other two with anticipation as they completed the simple act of packing the car.

"Cool," Xander grinned but his fiancée wasn't as enthusiastic.

"Not really," She told him, "Well yes...but only if he sees good things in your future. If he sees death and destruction- or worse nothing at all in which case you're going to die _very _soon...then it's not so good, no"

"No...erm guess not..." Xander agreed, seriously deflated from his moments ago fortune-cookie analogy high.

"This is all very well and good," Joyce commented, gesturing at the car and the contents that had been piled into it's trunk, "But when we get to L.A where exactly are you proposing we stay?"

"Well, I spoke with, ah, Wesley over the phone and-"

"You and Watcher Junior having an _actual_ conversation?" Xander asked in disbelief, "Like as in no verbal sparring?"

"Ooh, I bet there was some," Willow grinned enthusiastically and Buffy nodded in agreement.

"With lots of 'bloody hells' and 'buggers'"

"Yes, very amusing," Giles said, clearly not really agreeing, but choosing not to delve further into the matter, "Now as I was saying, Wesley said that ah the business they run, Angel Investigations, I believe is now based in the..." Giles obviously couldn't remember them and he frowned as he tried to bring the name back, "Ah yes," He said smiling as the memory came back to him, "The Hyperion Hotel and we are, apparently, welcome to stay there for the duration"

"The Hyperion??" Buffy, Joyce and Dawn asked in sync, disgust etched on their faces.

"What?" Giles asked, not having a clue what the problem was. Looking around he saw the other three were just as clueless.

"The Hyperion is like wicked defunct Giles," Buffy told him, "It's not been used since 1950-whenever. Lice, mites and creepy crawly ridden dangerous dust filled hotel from L.A leftover hell"

"Well, as much as your alliterated listing must be complimented upon, I'm afraid I must say you're moving away from factual opinions and onto hyperbole," Giles told her and Buffy just looked flummoxed, "That is, you're exaggerating"

"She's not," Dawn and Joyce told him.

"Rupert, the Hyperion, although undoubtedly grand in it's day...hasn't been used or looked after in half a century," Joyce explained, "It's not a place you can class as...as, well a _place_"

"Well, since Wesley stated that Cordelia is quite happy working there, not to the mention the fact that Angel's own room is in the Hotel, we can wager that the Hyperion has since been improved"

"Angel stays there as well?" Joyce asked, obviously not keen on the idea. She knew that Angel had saved Buffy and the others' lives many times over the years, but he was still a vampire who made her daughter's high school life a living hell, whether Buffy thought that or not. Only Xander and Rupert hated Angel more, she believed.

"I know. It's not the most ideal of circumstances," Giles agreed, proving Joyce's thoughts right, "But, it's only for a day or so...and well, there's no other choice"

"Great," Joyce said sarcastically, "We've not even left Sunnydale yet and it's already 'tough, there you go'."

* * *

Wesley wasn't a fan of sitting around and doing nothing. Not normally anyway. But as he relaxed on a sofa in the reasonably quiet foyer at the Hyperion Hotel, he couldn't help but enjoy the nothing he was doing. That and the fact, he couldn't hear Connor crying anymore. One of the girls, Gunn, Angel or even Lorne must have found a way to keep him happy. Possibly Angel's game face had done the trick again. Wesley knew he should have been up there helping, but there was only so much crying he could take before he felt his ears were damaged beyond repair and his head was minutes away from imploding.

He heard the door to Angel's room open upstairs and knew, now that the baby was happy, the group were leaving the battle ground that was that room. Wesley only hoped they had left Connor up there to sleep. The way Angel was about him though, Wesley doubted it.

The sound of another door opening also caught his attention more as this was the sound of the front door- which generally meant potential customers. He sat up from his comfortable position of being lay down to see who the strangers were only to see they weren't strangers at all and in fact, they were expected; Giles and Joyce.

"Hello," Wesley greeted them with a smile, standing up, "It's nice to see you two again. Last time we saw one another was I believe..."

"The wedding," Giles filled in as he and Joyce walked from the entranceway and into the foyer.

"Yes, yes it was," Wes nodded in agreement.

"And you've lost the wheelchair," Joyce commented and Wes smiled.

"Yes, I'm fully recovered now," He told her.

"Well, that's good to know"

At this point Angel, with Connor in his arms, came downstairs with Fred, Cordy and Gunn.

"Giles," Cordelia said in surprise, "Mrs Sum- erm, Mrs Giles"

"Joyce," Joyce corrected out of habit.

"Joyce. Right. What are you guys doing here?" Cordelia always got a weird feeling when she saw people from Sunnydale. It gave her a feeling of nostalgia- reminding her of the old days at Sunnydale High- and also, comfortable familiarity as these were people that _she_ knew. However, she also got the feeling of surprise and dread. Surprise that they actually ventured out of the small Hellmouth town and dread, because when they did venture out- it usually meant something bad was going to come along with.

"They are staying for a night or so," Wesley explained.

"And no one thought to tell us?" Angel asked, slightly frustrated and it was this question that drew Joyce and Giles' attention and they finally saw the baby in his arms.

"Oh my, who's this?" Joyce asked, smiling at the pink bundle of cuteness that the baby obviously was.

"This...this is Connor," Angel smiled, proud of his son, yet because of who Joyce was the mother of, felt quite uncomfortable admitting to her that he was in fact his son.

"Connor," Joyce repeated as she reached the two of them and cooed at the sleepy, yet awake baby, "He's gorgeous"

"I know," Angel couldn't help but beam.

"I'm afraid I should have called you sooner," Wesley suddenly said, causing Joyce and Giles to look at him questioningly.

"About what?" Giles asked.

"Ah, well you see...Caritas was destroyed...just a couple of days ago actually," Wes told them.

"What? Huh?" Cordy asked, even more confused than a moment ago, "That's what they're here for? Lorne? What? Why?"

"Well because..." Wes began to answer, but then faltered, "Actually they never said," He admitted, before looking at the couple, "Why did you need to see Lorne?"

"Well, we are, we need some future insight, quite desperately actually," Giles explained, "Because...well, ah, Joyce is pregnant"

"What?" Angel, Cordy and Wes all asked at the same while Gunn just raised his eyebrows in silent surprise.

"I probably would say what too..." Fred told them, "'cept I don't you are..."

"Buffy's Watcher...Buffy's Mom," Cordelia murmured in her ear in explanation, before looking at everyone else in exasperation, "Okay, what's going on here? We get rid of one pregnant lady and then another turns up? Not fair,"

"Pardon?" Giles asked, wondering who Cordelia was referring to, but she was prevented from saying anything in reply as Joyce asked;

"Could one of you tell me, _quickly_, where the...the bathroom is?"

"There's a small ground floor one over there-" Wesley had barely pointed out the direction, before Joyce had gone. Wes looked at Giles, silently asking him what the problem was.

"It seems morning sickness does not restrict itself to merely the morning," Giles explained with a grimace, "If you'll excuse me," And he left to make sure Joyce was okay.

"Could we _not_ mention the Connor thing to people who see Buffy on a regular basis please Cordelia?" Angel asked in frustrated exasperation.

"Right so that's Buffy's Watcher- like what Wesley used to be- and the woman is Buffy's Mom..." Fred said, trying to clear up the facts, "And they're together? And she's all pregnant?"

"Yeah," Cordy nodded before pausing in thought, "I thought she was pregnant last year...at the wedding?"

"Yes," Wes nodded in agreement, "Yes she was...surely they wouldn't be having another so...oh"

"Oh, what?" Cordy asked, seeing Wesley's saddened expression, but not understanding why.

"Cord...if she's pregnant now even though she was pregnant then..." Gunn explained uncomfortably and it all sank in for her.

"Oh god...they lost the baby?" Cordy asked in horror, looking in the direction the couple had headed, "That's terrible..." She remembered the vision she'd had on the night of the wedding and wondered whether the teenager she saw was now long dead...or, that the teen had been the child Joyce was _now_ carrying. She hoped it was the latter

"What's terrible doll face?" Lorne asked as he walked down the stairs into the foyer, wearing one of his trademark colorful suits.

"Uh, nothing that prompts discussion," Wesley told him immediately, feeling it wasn't their place to talk about Giles and Joyce's private affairs without their permission. "We do however, have a couple here who may interest you"

"A couple? Interest me? How?" Lorne was conflicted between feeling confused and feeling intrigued.

"People from Sunnydale," Cordy explained, "Old friends...sorta. They kinda need a reading. You know? With the sing song?"

"Well I always welcome newbies...just wish my club was back to being the up and running jive it was..." He said pointedly to them all,giving them the closest thing Lorne ever got to a glare. It was mainly aimed at Angel. His gaze brightened however when he saw Joyce and Giles returning from the bathroom, Joyce looking a little worse for wear and Giles had his arm around her just in case. "Aww innthat sweet?" Lorne smiled, "You two wouldn't happen to be the ones that want to get ballad-y are you?"

"Yes, ah singing would be the intention," Giles told him, "But I pray there will be no ventures into ballads. The Host, I presume?" He held out his hand for Lorne to shake and Lorne took it with a grin.

"Lorne, actually. Nice to meet ya and your name...?"

"Rupert Giles..and uh, this is my wife,ah, Joyce"

Lorne stopped shaking hands with Giles to take Joyce's. He shook it a lot more gently than he had with Giles, and only did so a few times.

"Always nice to meet a lovely lady," Lorne smiled, "I'm guessing you're the one who wants to sing"

"Want isn't a word I'd use..." Joyce murmured before frowning at Lorne, "How did you know-"

"Because you've got the look, sweetcheeks," Lorne explained.

"The look?" Joyce asked weakly.

"The look of 'I can't believe I'm going to do this and all I want is to run,'"

Joyce smiled in spite of her obvious terror at the thought of singing to someone.

"Actually," Giles said, "It's not particularly Joyce we want you to read...when she sings..."

"It's...not...?" Lorne asked slowly, extremely confused.

"I'm pregnant you see," Joyce explained, "And we were kinda hoping you'd-"

"Read the baby as well?" Lorne guessed and the couple nodded. Lorne rubbed his hands together excitedly, "A double reading? Interesting...not done one of those in a while. Well, I'll tell you one thing," He grinned at them, "I'll give it a shot"


	12. Insight

Zigpal- Thanks for the review (and claps of course) and yes, Lorne does have a lot to say...although it won't make sense till later on. As is always the case with Lorne's readings hehe. And don't worry- Mopey Willow will be all pulling-up-the-socks soon.

Jason Barnett- I never meant for Willow to be 'taken in'.Giles isn't trying to win her over. He's just teaching her the beginning; how she should have learnt Wicca from the start. And Will, being the little knowledge-seeker that she is, found what Giles said very interesting.

Rabidreject- Thanks for the review, and yeah, I like the Angel Crossovery goodness too. No more sobbing now coz here is the update. Hehe. Beginning of the week (ish) instead of the middle so not too bad...haha. And thanks, yeah, my weekend was great though of course I'm shattered now. haha

* * *

A/N: This chapter is pretty much a bridge. Lorne's reading and then how Giles and Joyce are being effected relationship-wise by this new addition. Next chapter will get back to the plot line.

* * *

"You want me...to sing?" Joyce asked, barely hiding her nerves.

"That is how it works," Lorne smiled kindly at her, making a little circling motion with his hands as though to say 'so...sing'.

"Right here? Now?" Joyce asked even more nervously as she looked around at everyone and Cordy, while feeling sorry for her, could barely contain a laugh at the sight. When Joyce was nervous, she bore an uncanny resemblance to Buffy, "In front of all these people?"

"Well, no...they don't have to stay honey," Lorne told her, "But some prefer an audience- makes it more-"

"They can leave," Joyce hurriedly said before looking at the others apologetically, "Sorry if they came out a little rude. It's just-"

"It's perfectly understandable," Wesley told her, "We'll just go into the other room over there"

"Yeah," Cordelia agreed, "While asking ourselves why Angel never asks us to leave the room when _he_ sings"

"Hey," Angel said, clearly offended, already heading off with Connor in the direction of the room Wesley had pointed out.

As Joyce watched them all walk off into the next room she felt intense relief and intense fright all at the same time. Relief because they wouldn't be able to watch her and fright because she knew once they had all left the foyer, then she would have no more time to kill or procrastinate and then she would have to sing. She really hated singing, well she sang on her own like most people, but intentionally singing for someone else? That just made her want to scream. She reached for Rupert's hand to hold for emotional support to find it wasn't there. He'd started to walk off too.

"Hey- where are you going?" She asked, quickly grabbing his hand to pull him back, "I need _you_ here."

"Oh, right,"

They heard the sound of the door clicking shut and Lorne turned to Joyce with an expectant look.

"So, do you wanna give it a shot now?"

"What am I supposed to sing?" Joyce asked, "I mean is there anything that-"

"You can sing whatever you want" Lorne assured her, "Anything that comes to mind"

"Right," Joyce smiled slightly, looking down at the ground as she tried to summon her confidence back to her, "You see- it's just I don't really make a habit of singing. Ever" She told Lorne, before pausing in thought, "Except for that one time a little while ago when Sunnydale became a musical...but that really wasn't of my own free will"

"Pardon?" Lorne asked, his eyes wide in amazement, "Became a musical? Like everyone was bursting into a song of their own?"

"At every unfortunate opportunity," Giles elaborated, "We found that we frankly had no choice in the matter"

"Wow, I would have loved to- seeing into their souls through the lyrics as well as the notes," Lorne was obviously deliriously happy over this thought, "And the music.- original scores and..." He trailed off as he saw the pointed look that both Giles and Joyce were giving him, "Sorry- I got kinda..." He trailed off again before finally regaining focus, "So let's hear you sing blondie. Pun not intended," He added as a pointed afterthought.

"But I still don't know what to sing..." Joyce reminded him, "In all honesty...my mind's gone completely blank"

"Hmm..." Lorne seemed thoughtful for a moment, "Well, usually I like the singer to choose their own song- kinda reveals a lot. But this one time? I let cha off," He grinned, before becoming thoughtful once again, "Well, tis the seasonal month now, so why not sing us to have a merry little Christmas"

"You want me to sing a Christmas song?" Joyce asked sceptically and Lorne sighed in exasperation.

"My aren't you picky. Just sing hon. It only has to be for a couple of lines"

"Unh," Joyce complained childishly with a roll of the eyes as she held onto Rupert's hand tighter and sang the opening lines of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.

* * *

Okay, so the gang at Angel Investigations were nosy. And the room they had been exiled to wasn't sound proofed. And it had a window. 

"She's not bad," Wesley commented as he and Cordy peered through the window to see what was going on while they all listened intently to the muffled sound of Joyce singing.

"She's definitely better than Angel," Cordy agreed.

"Everyone's better than Angel Cordy," Gunn said straightforwardly and at Angel's look he just shrugged, "Oh come on, you can't actually think you sound _good_ when you sing can ya?"

As she reached the line 'gather near to us once more', Joyce believed she sang more than enough and she cut off.

"That was...erm, you don't need anymore do you?" She asked Lorne anxiously.

Lorne however didn't reply for the moment, but seemed completely lost in thought.

"Wow...I didn't expect...wow..." Lorne whistled in disbelief, "I didn't expect things to be that complex"

"Complex?" Cordelia asked as she and the others came back into the foyer. It was an amazing feat Connor was still quietly sleepy after all this to-ing and fro-ing.

"How come you came back in at..." Joyce began to ask, but stopped when she realized she knew the answer, "You were listening in," She accused, before resorting to using a motherly warning tone, "Cordelia..."

"What?" Cordy asked, not fazed in the slightest, "Wesley was listening in too"

Both Giles and Joyce looked over at him, shock etched on their faces that Wesley would be so nosy.

"I was not-" Wes immediately protested before sighing, "Okay, fine. Yes, yes I was"

"Now what'd ya see doc?" Cordy asked, not even bothering to hide her nosiness.

"Well-" Lorne turned to Joyce, "You don't mind them listening in to this bit do ya? Coz the little whippersnappers can go away again"

"No, no it's fine," Joyce assured him with a sigh, "They'll just find a way to listen in anyway"

"So, uh, what did you see?" Giles asked anxiously.

"All and nothing," Lorne replied and before any of them could ask about this profound answer, he immediately elaborated, "It seems this lady here isn't meant to be here at all"

"Pardon?" Giles asked.

"Joyce is it?" Lorne double-checked although he was sure he already knew and Joyce nodded in confirmation, "Joyce should have been out of this world a good while ago." He stepped forward so he was talking intimately and directly to Joyce, "You see, the original design had you written out, you'd played your part and well, your story was supposed to come to an end" Every one was deathly silent as they listened to Lorne tell Joyce that, essentially, right now, she should be dead, "_But_ you two getting it together seems to have changed all that, not gonna tell you how- you'll figure it out in due time I'm sure- but well, without you two being a two, well," He shrugged sympathetically at Joyce, "I don't think you'd be here at all. Now _that_'sa kind of certainty that comes along but once in a lifetime. Don't forget that." He told the two of them and couldn't help a little smile as he watched Giles, having heard how the Grand Design had had things mapped out for Joyce, put his arm around her, pulling her just that little bit closer as though subconsciously making sure she was still there.

"Now, this is one complicated journey she's on," Lorne carried on.

"Joyce is?" Giles checked and Lorne shook his head

"No, the baby"

"It's...it's a girl?" Joyce asked, her hand reaching up to cover her lips as her emotions at this revelation threatened to overtake her.

"A daughter?" Giles could barely form the word and he was surprised he managed to say it without stuttering.

"Yes," Lorne nodded, briefly wondering whether he should have given away that much information, "But while it's going to be complicated, with you two crazy kids there she's gonna do fine"

Cordelia suddenly let out a burst of laughter.

"Was there something funny about that?" Lorne challenged, though their was humor in his voice.

"No, it's nothing," Cordy assured him, "It's just well one- referring to them two, especially Giles,as a 'crazy kid' is funny enough but..." She smothered another giggle, "If you knew how the two of them actually got together..." She finally composed herself as she managed to stop letting out smothered giggles, "Well, let's just say you'd find it a whole lot funnier"

"Well I've had a glimpse at how this kid came about- and _that_'s funnier," Lorne retorted, confusing Cordy but causing Giles and Joyce to blush in the extreme. "Anyway, where was I?" Lorne returned his attention to the couple in question, "Oh yeah, right. "She's uh she's got a lot of destiny on her shoulder this chica. A lot. I mean, sure she'll have some issues with it at first- you'd know all about that- " He nodded in the direction of Giles and Rupert briefly wondered (and also, worried) over how much Lorne had seen from just the few lines Joyce had sang, "but she'll come through- even revel in that destiny- in the end," The host of the presently defunct Caritas continued.

"But is she going to be okay?" Joyce asked with firm quiet urgency in her voice. This destiny thing was definitely a heavy weight on Joyce's shoulders- was it too much to ask for one daughter to be free of all this madness?- but right now, all she cared about was that her youngest was going to be fine.

Lorne paused for a moment as though contemplating whether to give Joyce an answer to her question or not.

"Yeah," He finally said, "She's going to be fine- no need to get all Thelma-and-Louise there. Jeez, what is it with you people and rushing me along in my answers? I'm offering you a service here," Lorne sounded genuinely exasperated, "Now...erm..." He frowned,"See- I've lost my flow now. Ah that's it." He looked at Joyce and Giles, "There's just one more thing that I should tell you- now, don't be getting too worried, but being aware might be just the thing- this pregnancy? It's gonna be complicated- at the beginning, and the final hour"

As if sensing the effect this had on everyone, especially the expecting parents, Connor, who moments ago had been asleep in Angel's arms, burst into loud ear-destroying sobs. Angel put on his game-face, grinning at Connor, but for once it did nothing to pacify him. The gang all rushed around the Father-and-Son, hurriedly trying to calm the baby down (Fred tried pulling funny faces.) Lorne just sighed at the noise and flopped down on the nearby sofa and Giles and Joyce, not being part of the group dynamic, just watched from afar.

That is until it became blatantly obvious that Connor wasn't going to stop crying anytime soon.

"Erm...do you mind if I try?" Joyce offered, stepping forward and the group immediately parted eagerly to give Angel room to hand the child over. Angel, however, looked very reluctant.

"I don't know," He said over the Connor's cries, "What if it makes him worse?"

"There is no worse than this!" Cordelia told him, "Give him over!"

With a reluctant sigh, Angel handed over his son to Joyce.

"It's okay, Connor. Connor- Daddy's right here" Angel assured the baby softly as he handed him over.

"Daddy?" Joyce asked in pure shock, immediately clocking onto Angel's slip-up, but preoccupied with the baby that was now in her arms and not Angel's, she was unable to pay more attention to this revelation. However, she knew for damn sure that she wanted answers. Now. She glanced over at Giles, "You ask," She told him, before returning her attention to Connor.

"Adoptive child, correct?" Giles guessed, "Though heaven knows how or why"

"No, uh, not adoptive," Angel admitted reluctantly, "He's actually my, my son"

"What?" Giles was completely flummoxed, "But that's not possible- vampires can't- vampires can't have children"

"Tell that to Darla..." Cordy mumbled quietly, but apparently loud enough for Giles to hear.

"Darla?" Giles asked, "What has Darla to do with all this?"

"She was the Mother," Cordy explained, grinning, clearly enjoying the effect this sudden share mode was having.

"How? But- wasn't she...years ago- staked when- _by_ Angel!" Giles exclaimed, barely forming sentences as complete confusion and shock overcame him. Cordelia would probably have said more in reply, but suddenly everyone's attention was drawn away from the confusing matter at hand, by the fact that Connor had fell completely silent and by the peaceful expression on his face,fell asleep. Joyce was rocking him gently, clearly quite proud of herself for this accomplishment.

"You did it," Angel said in disbelief.

"Don't act so shocked," Joyce told them all, "I have raised two-well, one really...but let's not get into _that_. Either way, you'd be amazed what tricks a mother keeps up her sleeves"

"Please share this trick," Cordelia urged as she and Angel both rushed forward towards her, looking down in amazement at the sleeping Connor.

"The rock-and-walk," Joyce said in reply as though it were the simplest thing in the world.

"The who and the what?" Cordelia frowned and Joyce smiled before explaining.

"The rock," Joyce emphasized the gentle rocking, "and walk," and then joined it with subtle pacing.

Giles found himself watching this scene intently, so intently in fact that he didn't realize anyone had walked up beside him until Wesley spoke.

"You seem rather taken aback,"

"Taken aback?" Giles questioned, not quite taking his eyes away from Joyce. 'Taken aback' wasn't quite how he guessed his expression looked.

"Yes," Wes nodded, "I think perhaps you didn't consider the fact that Joyce would be a natural at this now...and so, you're rather worried that you won't be"

Giles really hated when people were insightful. Especially when it was annoyingly so. So, he didn't reply to that comment straight away, instead, he chose to continue watching Joyce as she yet again illustrated to Angel, the trick of getting Connor to go to sleep.

"I love that woman," He stated suddenly and Wesley was rather taken aback himself by this sudden blatant announcement of feelings.

"I'd gathered that from when you married her," Wesley settled for light humor in response- it was a comfortable neutralizer to a potentially awkward situation.

"I know," Giles said patiently, almost tutting at Wes' response. He was in what Buffy referred to as 'share mode'. It was a decidedly rare occurrence and he would have preferred it if he wasn't mocked, "But there are times, just brief moments..when I'm reminded of that fact. And it can be so incredibly overpowering and- I don't like it," Giles admitted and Wesley frowned.

"You...don't like it?" He asked slowly, clearly very confused, "Might I suggest that you don't tell your wife that little fact. Could put a strain on the relationship"

"I don't like it Wesley, because I like to be in control. And I hate it when I lose such," Giles explained, "That particular feeling- the seeming reminder of how I feel about her- is so overpowering, that it could potentially take all of my control from me with the merest of efforts"

"Wow..." Fred murmured, having been listening in without either men realizing. It was a gift of hers- if she didn't wish to be noticed, she wouldn't be, "That is so romantic"

Giles started, not realizing the girl had been there at all.

"My lord, where did you, uh, never mind. Of what you just heard, ah-"

"Fred," Fred filled in.

"Fred," Giles repeated, while taking off his glasses with one hand and cleaning them with a handkerchief that he held in the other, "Of what you heard Fred, perhaps it would be best you ah choose not to repeat it," He slipped the 'chief back in his pocket and placed his glasses back on, "That applies to you also, Wesley," He added, before stepping away from the two of them to talk to Joyce and also to ask Angel for further explanation on how he could possibly have a son.

* * *

"Well, your bags are all in your room now," Gunn said as he and Angel came back down the stairs. 

"It's the first room on your right," Angel added and Joyce, the only one there to listen nodded.

"Right, thanks," She was yet again sat on the sofa in the foyer, but now Connor was asleep she was at a loss for what else to do and so had resigned herself to just sitting there and taking heart in the fact that for the past hour or so she'd had no bouts of 'morning' sickness.

"Where's Giles?" Angel asked, with a frown, wondering where the man could have disappeared to in the hotel.

"Oh, I think him and Wesley are...watcher-bonding or something..." Joyce shrugged, but Angel and Gunn just looked confused, "They're translating a text together," She explained.

"Yeah, they are," Cordy confirmed, walking back into the room with Fred, "It's boring as hell in all honesty"

"Oh I don't know," Fred reasoned, "It's a bit interesting...dontcha think?"

"No," Cordelia answered straightforwardly and honestly, "I'm off for coffee- anyone want?"

Gunn and Angel started to make a request but Cordy cut them off.

"I was just being polite," She told them, a touch of the old Cordelia returning, before she headed out of the hotel in search of a caffeinated beverage that wasn't the poison kept in the Hyperion.

Fred watched her go, before deciding on something and taking a seat next to Joyce. She knew Mr Giles had told her never to repeat the romantic monologue she had overheard, but Fred truly saw no harm in telling his wife. After all, wasn't that the person who was supposed to know? Besides, she really wanted to know what Mrs Giles in turn thought of her husband and even more besides, Fred had lived for five years in a hell dimension and hearing someone talk so romantically had further reminded her, gave her further hope, of all the wonderful things she had yet to rediscover in this not-so-hellish world.

"Hi," Fred grinned as she sat down beside Joyce, "I think you look kinda bored here,"

"What?" Joyce looked quite startled by this random statement from a girl she hardly knew, "Oh, not really...just alone time I guess"

"Oh," Fred nodded, "Does that mean you want me to not sit here?"

"No,no it's fine really," Joyce assured, "So...uh, how did you meet Cordelia and the others?"

"Oh, well, I was in a hell dimension for years and years where humans are kept as slaves and then about six months ago Angel saved me and brought me back here and now well, now I kinda live here, you know, at the hotel," She said this list of shocking facts in such a flow that it took a Joyce a moment to register any of what Fred had said. She did get the part about her being in a Hell Dimension though.

"Oh...uh, well, I-"

"It's alright, you don't have to try and say anything apologetic," Fred told her with a smile, "It's a bit hard to say the right thing about something like that." Fred paused for just the briefest of moments before bursting out with another random spurt of information, "Mr Giles said something really romantic about you before"

"You don't have to call him 'Mr Giles' you know," Joyce told her, "Besides...it sounds strange. Everyone back home just calls him 'Giles'. Well, I don't."

"What do you call him?"

"By his name..." Joyce smiled, "'Rupert'...now, erm...now about this romantic thing you heard him say..." Joyce prompted, suddenly becoming seriously interested and Fred giggled a shy laugh.

"Well, he said about how much he loves you and that...he doesn't like it when it makes him feel like he's losing control," Fred told her and Joyce frowned, looking hurt.

"He doesn't like how it makes him feel...?" She asked and Fred quickly shook her head.

"No, not like _that..._he just said...that, that his feelings were so strong they can, erm..." Fred scrunched up her face in shy concentration as she tried to remember what Giles had said, "'take him over with the merest of efforts'" She nodded to punctuate the statement as though confirming she had gotten the quote correct. Joyce however, didn't say anything in reply, but couldn't help grinning widely. "He just made it sound all romantic and fairytale soundin'..." Fred continued.

"Oh it's not a fairytale, trust me," Joyce told her, but this point was less convincing due to the fact she was still smiling at what Fred had told her. "We've uh we've had our fair amount of problems"

"But is it worth it?" Fred asked curiously.

"Definitely," Joyce immediately said, leaving no room for doubt, "I just...you know sometimes I think about what would have happened if we hadn't..well, got together...and it just makes me feel..." Joyce searched around for a suitable word to explain it, "Empty I suppose as though my life wouldn't be quite right without him there. I mean he can make me laugh so much through just the littlest things, even more so when he doesn't mean to. And he's just being...being Rupert," Joyce smiled as a memory obviously came to mind, "Like when he gets completely lost in research- and he'll get _so _excited about finding something new and he looks so...sweet and cute- I mean he'd be completely embarrassed if he knew I thought that- but it makes me want to.." She trailed off as she realized where she was heading with that point and blushed slightly, "Well, you know. And I can just feel so completely safe with him...and when I'm sat with him and he has his arms around me- it's the safest feeling in the world. It's just...he's Rupert. And that's what I love about him." Joyce, as though suddenly realizing how much she had just shared with a virtual stranger, smiled nervously, "I'm sorry- I don't where all that...silly hormones, huh?"

"Well, it's proven that when a woman's pregnant that both Mother and Father are effected in a way that their affection for one another is increased or emphasized? You know, coz of the fact you're seeing him as the Father of your child now and he's seeing you as the Mother. It's this whole new layer thing," Fred explained, "But you two make it sound like really romantic...you should like write it down or somethin'...or not, coz it's kinda private...but..." Fred, clearly embarrassed, abruptly stopped talking and looked over at where Giles and Wes, now being peered at by Gunn and Angel, will still looking at a text together. "They're still translatin' that paragraph..." Fred stated and Joyce nodded in agreement.

"They'll both be one, wanting to get it exactly right and two, wanting to get the better of one another," Joyce told her, "You know, it's one of the highlights of research in Sunnydale in my opinion, when Rupert reads out the new information."

"Huh?" Fred frowned in confusion and Joyce leaned in conspiratorially to explain.

"Well, it's one of the things I love about him- his voice. I liked _that_ even _before_ I started dating him," She smiled, "And frankly, I could listen to him read the phone book"

Fred couldn't help but giggle.

* * *

Morning light always looked different when you weren't in your own bed. That was Joyce's explanation for why she always woke with a start at seven am when she was sleeping in a strange place. She shifted onto her side to find Giles wide awake too. 

"Hullo," Giles smiled, speaking in a tone akin to 'fancy seeing you here' as though he didn't expect Joyce to be there beside him.

"Morning," She smiled, stretching slightly automatically reaching for his hand under the covers with her own. The moment their fingers entwined, he used the connection to slide her closer to him so they were side to side (or rather front-to-front) in the center of the bed.

As they brushed noses lightly, they dimly heard the sound of the front door downstairs opening and closing and the sound of Cordelia's voice shouting for Angel. Something about a vision. They mutually chose to ignore it and instead fully focused on one another as their lips met in a gentle good-morning kiss. Then, her other hand came from under the covers to cup the back of his head, fingers stroking though his mussed hair and he mirrored the action, running his hand through Joyce's blond curls as they kissed again, and he drew her lower lip into his mouth. He soon realized that this was fast becoming more than a good morning kiss as he traced down her neck with his lips, before she turned her head down to reclaim his mouth once again.

They were a little too enthusiastic to be able to immediately pull apart when the door to their room was shoved open.

"Angel, I can't remember which is your room so-ooooh my god!" Cordelia exclaimed, immediately turning to face the hall and away from the couple.

"I-I-I, uh, Cor-Cordelia what are you doing?" Joyce asked, panicked as she and Giles sat up in bed, startled by the sudden invasion of privacy.

"I couldn't remember which room Angel stays in so I pushed open the first- oh god," Despite the fact she was facing the other way, Cordy had her hand tightly over her eyes, "Oh god- I'm so...I have new sympathy for Buffy"

"Cordelia is something up?" Angel asked, coming down the hall after having heard her calls.

"Dear god, I hope not" She replied and Angel frowned in confusion, wondering what the heck she meant.

"Cordy, let me rephrase the question- what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I erm," Cordelia didn't take her hand away from her eyes, looking much like someone doing an impression of 'see no evil' "I had a vision"


	13. Upon A Star

g120- Yay your back. Hehe. By 'back to the plotline' I did mean my own plot. haha, but thanks, I appreciate what you said. It gave me a happy, but so much as 'I'm in continued awe at this creation'. That really inflated my ego to dangerous proportions. I think it was the word 'awe'. Made me go all crazy. Thank you for the review

Rabdireject- Thanks for review and nice use of 'another'. Makes it seem as though awesomeness just flows out of me like some awesome...glowworm...thing. I'm not that good with spontaneous similies, but the sentiments there.

Zigpal- Yay- my dosage of clapping hands. Mundo appreciation. Glad you liked the Fred/Joyce talk. I was really nervy about writing Fred atch- I absolutely love her to bits, but she's such a hard character to write; she has so many goddamn layers- so I'm glad you thought I did her justice. And the vision is kinda important to them...but not directly. ;-)

* * *

A/N: Took me a bit longer than usual to update this time, but that was unfortunately due to the plot bunny that was my Spoyce one shot Outrageous Affair (Go on read it. You know you wanna. Okay...pimpage over). It's all Kristine [Sutherland's fault. I came across an interview with her the other day while channel surfing since it was raining (pfft) and I was locked inside. And she just had such clever and witty responses that one such just inspired a little Spike/Joyce action. 

But I'm back to my Cocorific baby now. It's terrible- I actually have this planned to way post- Chosen. You'll never get rid of me.

* * *

Ethan Rayne wasn't the most trouble-free of people. In fact, if he was honest, he pretty much reveled in it, particularly when he was the one causing it. Trouble with Cal Johnson, however, wasn't the kind of trouble he was particularly fond of.

Cal had come to him a couple of weeks ago, when he'd been 'vacating' in Boston. Cal had heard about him and wanted to ask for a spell and, more importantly, would pay money for it. This both satisfied Ethan's ego and Ethan's greed so he had listened to what Cal wanted.

Cal owned a business that built low rent housing and he had a plot in mind for his newest estate. However, the plot still had owners; apparently it was the inherited property of a family of Native Americans. Cal had gone through all the legal rigmarole to find he had no rights. If the family didn't give up the land freely, there was nothing else Cal could do.

Except go to someone who could magick right past all the legal tape. And that someone just happened to be Ethan Rayne.

Of course, Ethan took the money first- pay up front, that was the deal- and did the spell later, never actually revealing the details of the spell. All Cal had asked was for the legal business of it all not to concern his own business anymore. If he lost his business then it would be of no concern wouldn't it?

Course, it hadn't taken Cal long after becoming bankrupt to realize Ethan was to blame. So Ethan had hightailed it out of Boston and ended up in Chicago where he had heard from some amateur sorcerers, but sorcerers nonetheless, about a particular little trinket that harbored a demon which had the power to grant a wish to whoever was holding the trinket at the time. This sounded just the thing to Ethan- wish the little bastard Cal off his back for good.

He had eventually traced to talisman to Los Angeles. Though how it ended up there, Ethan didn't really care, only that he found it. So, as he sat in his dingy L.A Hotel, Ethan scryed, praying to god he would find the talisman soon before it was on the move again and also before Cal caught up with him. Without a business to run, Cal had developed quite a one-track mind.

* * *

"Where?" Angel asked in a deadly serious tone as Giles and Joyce walked over to listen in on the conversation too. Cordelia was silently thankful that both had nightgowns wrapped around them. 

"Where else? An Alley...two streets away from where Caritas is...was,"

"Hey," Gunn walked over to them, munching on a sandwich (clearly his breakfast for the day), with Wesley next to him, "Just got the vision call. What's the gig?"

"A demon, near Caritas," Angel informed them and as if out of nowhere Lorne appeared.

"My bar? Demons want to trash it _more_?"

"This place is more crowded than our house," Giles commented, taking note of the huge crowd that had gathered at the doorway.

"It's always a party in L.A," Lorne replied, "But I suggest we all move aside right now," He advised and the group frowned at him.

"Why?" Cordy asked.

"Because I think Gunn's sandwich there is going to make Joyce run for the bathroom in say three seconds," Lorne explained calmly and immediately everyone moved aside and sure enough, a split second later, Joyce rushed past them in the direction of the bathroom.

"Sorry!" Gunn called after her, before looking down at his sandwich guiltily.

"What's on it?" Fred asked, sniffing at the bread slightly as if trying to decipher what it was through the smell.

"Ham, onions and mayonnaise," Gunn replied, as though it were the most obvious sandwich in the world and he looked confused when everyone grimaced in disgust at the ingredients.

"Cordelia, what was the demon you saw, like?" Wesley asked.

"Dangerous. He was huge, Wes and definitely fangy and goo-y and...well, green" She told him, "Not something you'd wanna tangle with alone"

"Then we go in force then," Wesley decided and Gunn nodded in agreement as he took the final bite of his sandwich.

"Yeah, we'll bring it down together,"

"What about Connor?" Angel asked.

"Man, I know Dads want their sons to follow in the footsteps but he's a little young you know..." Gunn told him and Angel sighed patiently.

"No, I mean, someone has to stay here and look after him. We can't all go"

"Well, we need you to come with us Angel, if Cordelia's description is accurate," Wesley stated, making a note to, as soon as the Connor situation was sorted, research into what the demon could possibly be.

"Well, we're not driving home till later today," Joyce said, returning from the bathroom and looking so decidedly woozy from the Sandwich Effect that Rupert immediately walked over to support her, just in case she randomly chose to topple over- it wasn't likely, but you could never be too sure. "We could look after Connor, if you'd like"

At this offer, Giles let go of Joyce in shock, but hadn't realized she had actually been leaning on him, so when he let go she actually did waver slightly in a way that threatened to end with her falling over. Luckily though, she retained her balance a moment later.

"Joyce, I'm not sure..ah, perhaps Angel wouldn't be comfortable-" Giles began but Angel interrupted him.

"No, no...that's great. I mean if you're sure...? You weren't planning on leaving earlier"

"It'd be fine," Joyce assured him, "I was gonna take a look at the arts markets in the square but..."

"You can still do that," Angel told her, just thankful someone reliable could look after Connor while his Dad went off to 'slay the dragon', "But just make sure you take Connor with you..." He looked at Cordelia as he said this and the girl blushed.

"I did that _once_ the other day, once!" She defended herself, "And that was only because I was still all preoccupied with the demon attacks from last week."

"Well, that's, uh, settled then," Wesley concluded, "I'll get on with researching the demon,"

"I'm on weapons," Gunn added, following Wesley with Fred shyly following the both of them.

"I guess I'm helping Wesley," Cordy rolled her eyes and as she walked off she felt another painful reminder of the vision as her headache returned. She changed her plans- she'd take some aspirin and _then_ she'd help Wesley with researching the demon.

"But- I- B-but, if, if w-" Giles stuttered as everyone walked off to their assigned tasks, leaving him, Joyce and Lorne stood in the corridor.

"Consider it practice," Lorne said, patting Giles on the shoulder semi-supportively with a grin, "Remember, it'll soon be a permanent gig"

* * *

"See, it's not bad," Joyce said later on as she tried to get Rupert to actually hold Connor instead of looking at him from a safe distance with wary fear in his eyes. They were sat together on one of the benches conveniently placed between two stalls at the art market.

Giles just gave her a look in reply that said 'isn't it?'. He looked terribly uncomfortable with the child in his arms, but while he was obviously disgruntled by it, Joyce found his uncomfortableness amusing. Especially since he told her he had never held a baby before in his life. Ever. What kind of sheltered life had he led in England?

"I...he keeps wriggling," Giles told her, trying to maintain some Watcher dignity as he said it.

"Yes, babies do that," Joyce smiled, "Look you're doing fine. He's not even crying...anymore," She added on the end. "Just hold his head...like, yeah,there ya go," She smiled at her own handiwork.

"Pretty bracelets for a pretty lady," A cockney accent drew both of their attention and they turned to see the young brunette from the stall next to them holding out a velvet tray carrying an array of beautifully handcrafted bracelets. "Sorry," The woman apologized, in a now very Californian accent, "I wanted to get your attention without disturbing the baby...and...well I decided...okay, no," She finished as she looked at the confused looks Joyce and Giles were both throwing her, "But see? Bracelets?"

Joyce couldn't help smiling. The girl looked to be a little bit younger than Buffy- maybe nineteen? And was clearly nervous about manning her own stall, plus who was Joyce to turn away someone who was involved with the arts? Particularly when it was an arts you could wear.

"They're lovely," Joyce told her, fingering some of the beads, "Did you uh make them yourself?"

"Some," The girl told her with a proud smile as Joyce took one off the velvet tray for a closer look. As she twirled the beads around her fingers she looked at Rupert again to see him still looking uncomfortable with Connor. She briefly wondered whether he would be the same with their own child. If so, then he'd better get over it fast. For his own sake more than anything.

Thinking about that brought her back to the thoughts of what Lorne had said. Okay, so her daughter was going to be okay, nothing tragic was going to happen but...destiny? _More_ destiny? For God's sake, Buffy was a vampire slayer and Dawn was...once was a mystical ball of energy. Couldn't one of her children just be destiny free? Have a nice normal life? Was that too much to ask. With three in a row having some destiny entanglement, Joyce began to wonder if it was all her fault that her daughters had such a rough time of it. Lorne may have said the baby would be okay, but Joyce wished there was a way she could know that her daughter would be okay- would be fine, would survive whatever destiny was to be forced upon her.

Joyce shook her head, shaking away her too-deep thoughts and she looked up to see the young woman at the stall was looking at her. Oh yeah, she still had hold of the bracelet.

"Erm,so uh where are the others from?" Joyce asked, "The ones you don't make yourself?"

"Antique stores mostly," The girl admitted, "I mean I don't pay a lot for them...but people hardly ever get a chance to see them or buy them because they kinda pass off antique shops as boring and, well, stuffy." the girl grinned.

Joyce put the bracelet back. The girl's smile fell.

"I...uh don't buy antiques," Joyce told her. Not since the last few had almost gotten her killed. "Sorry,"

The young girl looked disheartened, but Joyce couldn't really feel guilty. She'd come across one too many demonic antique jewelery, not the least of which her engagement ring. She turned to look at Rupert to see he actually looked slightly more comfortable with Connor but not much.

"We'd better be getting him back," Joyce said, "I think he's been out long enough. I don't think we need Angel coming home to find his son a little worse off than when he left him,"

* * *

Of all the places for that scrying spell to point out to him, it had to be one of those dastardly crass markets in L.A didn't it? Probably some clueless young thing selling the talisman off as a piece of vintage jewelery.

God, how Ethan hated crowds. It was the only time in his life that Chaos worked against him in the extreme disadvantage sense of the word. There one was, just trying to get to your destination and people _get in the way._ Blunt force was also something Ethan wasn't fond of, he had more insidious tactics, but there was a rather large red head pushing a twin trolley as though it gave her rights to the town and all it's sidewalks that really needed knocking for six.

Ethan shook the annoyance aside and just focused and headed towards the stall that held Helena's Band. There the woman was who owned the stall- just as he suspected- very young, very pretty and he surmised very easy to charm. Definitely something he could work to his advantage. He could be quite the charmer, no magick necessary.

He had barely reached the stall and already his eyes had caught sight of the bracelet. It was just there. Finally, he could wish all his goddamn problems away (and then deal with the demon...or maybe he'd leave that to someone else. Those hero types or whatever. They were usually up for saving the day). He took a few more steps forward to see the bracelet disappear before him. Literally. In thin air. One minute it was there and then poof! Gone.

Which meant someone had made the First Wish already.

Ethan pivoted, looking around for the trinket amongst the crowds. The bracelet would have attached itself to the first wisher, using the energy from them to help the demon find another wish. It was the way it worked. And if the bracelet had just disappeared now then the bracelet couldn't be far away.

Ah! There it was! Attached to an oblivious woman's handbag rather like a powerful handbag charm. She had obviously inadvertently made a wish or she would have been keeping a tighter hold on the piece of jewelery.

Ethan squinted for amoment, planning to commit her face to memory so if he lost her in the crowd before he got a chance to snatch the charm, then he could easily find her again.

The face he saw was already committed to memory though from previous encounters. As was the even more familiar face of the man beside her.

"Oh bloody hell," Ethan grumbled. Why did nearly everything he did lead back to them? It was a bloody conspiracy.

* * *

"I just want...well, thank you I guess, for what you did," Joyce told Lorne later on. She and Rupert were just getting ready to leave, their bags already in the car, and they were all in the foyer saying their farewells which were more likely to become see-you-soons, to the team at Angel Investigations.

"It's no problem sweetcheeks, it's what I do," Lorne assured her, smiling when she frowned at his term of endearment, "But I do expect to have this one paying me a visit in the future," He added, patting her stomach and Joyce greatly hoped this wasn't going to be one of many stomach-pats from people. It was as though once you became pregnant, your abdomen became public property with complete strangers wishing to cop a feel.

"Sure..." Joyce told him, but she wasn't fully convinced, "But thanks anyway," She smiled, "Although I'm not quite sure how to take what you said as comforting or not..."

"Trust me, you haven't got a thing to worry about," He grinned, "Well you know...except the usual"

Joyce's expression when he told her that, pointed out to him that that had been the wrong thing to say and he rushed to reassure her.

"So this visit has been thankfully one of the less eventful," Giles concluded and Wesley nodded in agreement.

"Yes, you could say that. Though what prompted your visit could be called an event in itself," Wes added, glancing in the direction of Joyce, who, right now, was being comforted by a guilty looking Lorne.

"I suppose," Giles half agreed.

"Have you told Joyce of how the child will be most likely taken into the Watcher community, if not at eleven, then when she is of age?" Wesley asked and Giles immediately shook his head.

"No. And I don't intend to"

"You don't?" Wesley raised his eyebrows in surprise, "You and I both know that the Watcher line is inarguably strong in your line...well, with the exception of your brother of course"

"Yes, but oddly enough I find myself not caring," Giles told him and Wesley found himself smirking. The council may have started paying Giles again for his Watcherly duties to Buffy, but they certainly hadn't re-recruited him, "If that's the way she wishes to go then fine, if it's not then I shan't force it upon her or let Travers and his bunch of pillocks do so either."

"Do we hug?" Cordelia asked sceptically as she and Joyce came to say their goodbyes, "I mean I'm not like Buffy or Willow or whatever...I'm not sure we hug"

"Hey! It works!" The two were prevented from making the hug decision by Angel's sudden and unexpected, happy exclamation. They turned to see him using the rock-and-walk on Connor.

"That always works," Joyce told him, barely preventing a 'well duh' tone coming out in her voice.

"Well, see ya then," Fred said in her shy, quiet voice, "It was nice to meetcha"

"It was lovely meeting you too Fred," Joyce told her warmly, motherly instincts kicking in overtime as she looked at this sweet girl that reminded her so much of Tara, but so much of Willow at the same time. She wondered whether the girl would be too timid to happily receive a small hug, but decided to go with it anyway. If Cordelia didn't want a hug, then Fred could at least have one.

"Well, we'd better be off then," Giles concluded, walking over to Joyce as though this were the ultimate sign that they were leaving.

There were several more byes and farewells and awkward do-we-hugs-or-not circumstances before Rupert and Joyce finally did leave. Wesley wouldn't like to bet on whether they were coming back to L.A or not. On the one hand it wasn't likely they'd ever return, on the other- well, you never know.

It was a few moments after the gang had heard the couple drive away when someone burst in through the door. He looked haggered and panicked and was definitely in a rush. This was a man who screamed for the help of Angel Investigations.

"Can we help you?" Wesley asked, stepping forward.

"I need- have you seen Ripper- Giles. I need to find Giles," The man told him and Cordelia frowned as the name Ripper rang a bell in her head. She knew it was related to Giles, who this guy was clearly looking for, but she couldn't remember when she'd last heard someone say it (well, someone besides Buffy's Mom when she and hundreds of other adults of Sunnydale had become not-so-adult). She looked up at the guy, finding him faintly familiar.

"Don't I know you?" Angel asked, voicing Cordelia's question and when the guy immediately responded to this question with a shifty and nervous look, Cordy recognized him.

"You're- you're the guy!" She exclaimed, "The creepy tattoo guy with the demon thingy! Erm...Ethan!"

"Well, I'm pleased you remember," Ethan grinned, before frowning, "Though your description could use a little tweaking."

"Who?" Wesley asked,looking as confused as Fred and Gunn. Lorne looking only slightly less confused. "You're from Sunnydale?" He asked Ethan.

"Not exactly," He replied.

"He was like a mate of Giles or whatever in like the 70s or something," Cordelia explained in a slightly bored tone as if it were all old news, which it was to her. "When Giles was like all rebelling and what-not and they were summoning demons or something."

"Eyghon." Angel murmured as the memory came back to him, "I remember now."

"Eyghon?" Wesley asked in disbelief, "The Sleepwalker?"

"The very same," Ethan told him with a smile, but Wesley shook his head, even more perplexed than before.

"That demon is extremely potent- summoning can cause lethal possession...Giles would never-"

"You don't know Ripper too well do you?" Ethan asked, "Didn't they tell you anything at that Council of yours?" He guessed Wesley was from the same tweed clad agency as Rupert from the familiar stance and upper-class British shock.

"I had heard rumors but..." Wesley trailed off, shaking his head in disbelief.

"So Sunnydale's British Guy was a big bad back when," Gunn summarized, "And you're here _now_ because...?"

"Catch up on old times?" Ethan quipped, but Angel's face was deadly serious.

"Get out"

"Come now, let's not be hasty," He replied, unfazed by Angel's threat, "I just need you to point me in the direction of Ripper. Need us to have a little chat, see"

"Why?" Angel asked, his voice a low growl and precariously, Cordelia took Connor out of his arms.

Ethan sighed as if this explanation they were asking for was going to take all his energy.

"If you must know, he's got a wish demon attached to him. Not to be confused with Vengeance Demons by the way and also, it isn't him it's attached to so much as his little wife who has herself caused me many issues in the past"

"What?" Cordelia asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "And you're just trying to help them?"

"No..." Ethan replied slowly and honestly, "I plan to use the wish for myself"

"Oh, well that makes sense," Cordy agreed, "For you"

"So...?" Ethan prompted, "Where are they?"

"Why should we tell you anyway?" Wesley asked bravely, but Ethan could see the fear beneath it all. Apparently Wesley wasn't quite confident standing up to a man who hadn't been afraid to summon Eyghon. Might have explained his slight nerves around Giles the first time he met him- subconscious working overtime perhaps?

Ethan sighed yet again as he was forced to answer more questions.

"Because helping myself inadvertently helps them...mores the pity- now; where are they?"

"They left already," Angel told him, "For Sunnydale"

Sunnydale. Could Ethan's day get any worse?

* * *

Revello Drive was completely empty. At the moment. A second later and a girl was in the house. Wherever she had been previously before her sudden appearance, she had apparently been leaning on something and with the prop no longer there to hold her up, she toppled over, landing in a pile on the living room floor. She sat up, pushing her dark blond hair out of her face and looked around the room with a deep frown, trying to identify her surroundings and failing.

"Huh," She merely said in conclusion.

* * *

Rupert and Joyce pulled up in the driveway, Joyce waking up from a deep sleep (Rupert was thankful he was the one who decided to drive), just as Buffy was wandering up the walkway with Dawn.

"Neat timing," Buffy commented and when Joyce looked at her questioningly she held up a bag heavy with contents, "Been school supply shopping. Just like I promised. Dawn will never be without a number two pencil again"

"She means it," Dawn told them, "She bought like the superpack of everything."

"So how was L.A?" Buffy asked casually and Joyce knew the hidden question was 'so how was Angel?'

"Strange," Joyce replied.

"So fairly normal in relation to our usual visits out of Sunnydale," Giles added. He and Joyce had both agreed in the car, that is before Joyce had been overcome with fatigue and had fallen asleep, that they weren't going to inform Buffy about Connor. That way led to sadness, moping, confusion and...well, sweaty palms.

"And the singing guy? Was he cooler than the guy who made us into a musical?" Dawn asked eagerly as they all walked up to the front door.

"Erm, he was decidedly less evil yes," Giles told her.

"And is everything okay in there?" Buffy asked, nodding in the direction of Joyce's stomach, as she pushed open the front door.

"Apparently fine," Joyce answered honestly, "Confusing...slightly, but fine" She smiled, but Buffy thought it was a little forced.

"Well," Buffy said as they all walked in, immediately turning towards the living room, "Now you can-" She cut off abruptly as she saw a stranger stood next to the couch.

The girl was about Buffy's age, a little taller though with dark blond hair that was curling at the ends. Wearing faded jeans and a purple spaghetti strap top she didn't look evil- but then looks could be deceiving.

"Excuse me?" Buffy asked in a tone that easily translated to 'who the hell are you?'.

The girl spun round, having been facing the fireplace till now, and her green eyes widened as she caught sight of the family in front of her.

"Oh my god," She exclaimed, looking at Joyce and Rupert in wonder, "Mom? Dad?" The girl looked totally blown away, "This is wicked weird."

Silent shock ensued.


	14. Lily

g120- Mwa haha (that was my attempt at an evil laugh. It was unsuccessful.). I like my cliffhangers, haha. Glad you're liking the story though and that its keepin ya on ya toes. Hopefully, this chapter will answer a lot of questions. Thanks for reviewyness

Rabidreject- Thanks for review- and yes, all the way to post chosen. It's ridiculous. This story is contaminating my mind. I'm off wandering into season 8 here and season 5 of Angel and argh, it's all too much. My brain may explode (hopefully not though). And I'm happy to know you'll be here reading my ramblings. Hehe

zigpal- Yes, the general consensus this update seems to be that I am evil. And yes we love to see Giles squirm. nee hee. But well,all your questions (and Giles' squirminess) shalt be answered henceforth. Thank you for my clappy review. ;-)

* * *

A/N: Okay, my cousins kids have been dumped on me these past few days. Yes I mean, dumped. There's three of them okay? Triplets? All of them five. All of them hyper. Two girls. One boy. One of which after looking after them for four days while their parents were on holiday (yeah, I know!) has taken to calling me 'Mom' on occasion. Marvelous. This is all because I made them funny shaped pancakes in the morning. It seems to have created an unconditional love for me. It's a pain when I'm taking them round town to have to explain to passers by 'no really, i'm not- I'm not their Mom' which is shortly followed 'and no, I didn't kidnap them either' 

They also don't let you have sleep. Got to bed nice and early the other night. Good night's rest. Only to be awoken at 5.00am by the screams of the two girls and the giggling glee of the boy. You know those toy goo-y snakes that are available in joke shops? Guess who thought they'd be a fun sleepover buddy?

Oh yes, when you think the world is your oyster there's nothing like a hyperactive five year old boy to bring you back down to Earth. He really wasn't happy when I confiscated the snake.

So, the point of this rambling? I have wrote this chapter in the few spare half hours I occasionally have when not playing Mom for the week. Oh yes, there's a few more days of this to go. And god help me I still love 'em to bits. This unconditional love thing's a bitca. Anyway, on with the story.

* * *

_Parents are just children who grew up and their kids are just parts of the dreams and hopes they had. _

Joyce Summers, 1998

* * *

"Is this Sunnydale?" The girl asked, looking around at the room in awe, her jaw practically dropping to the floor, "Man, this is just...freaky," The girl frowned at the group, "What date is it? The year like?" 

"D-December 2001..." Joyce managed to answer, frowning in deep confusion at the girl, "I'm sorry, but...who are you?" She asked, but the girl didn't seem to hear her as she started wandering around the living room, taking in every detail with that stunned expression permanently plastered on her face.

"Wow this...wow, this is a long time back," She said, half to herself and Buffy became very impatient.

"Okay as much as I'm loving your confusing ramblings that are just passing the time oh-so-slowly, you've told us squat about who you are or what you're dong here so spill"

"Yes, wh-who are you exactly?" Giles asked, more curious than confused.

"I'm your daughter," The girl replied pointing at him and Joyce, "In about twenty years," She added casually.

At this announcement Joyce's legs gave a little from shock but luckily, Giles, through his own shock caught her around the shoulders, before she fell to the floor.

"H-h-how is that...what...where...why..." Joyce stuttered as she used Rupert to pull herself back upright and regain her balance, "Huh?"

Dawn took a step forward towards the girl, scrutinizing her as she took in every detail. It was then that she started to see the similarities. The girl's hair was very similar to her Mom's, being only slightly less curly, but a perfect match for the color. Her eyes were green, but not the same green as Buffy's. There was a tiny fleck of brown in one eye that mirrored Giles' own eyes completely. It was only these two details that stood out significantly- the hair and the eyes- but Dawn was sure, that if she took a closer look she would see more of her Mom there or, yee gods, wiggins, more of Giles. She saw a similar look to Buffy there also, and, yay, even saw some of herself in the girl.

Soon the rest had also gathered round the twenty year old, searching for the same details Dawn had already found.

"Okay, could we not?" The girl asked, looking incredibly paranoid due to all this attention and the group, thankfully, stepped back.

"Well, the similarities are there," Dawn concluded and Buffy winced.

"Freaky," She said and at Joyce and Giles' look she shrugged, "What? It is"

"Erm," Joyce finally spoke up, swallowing very loudly as she had clearly temporarily lost her voice, "What, what is your uh name?"

"Lily," The girl told her with a smile, "Well, Lilian really, but no one ever calls me that. Except you. And Dad. When you're mad at me"

"Oh," Joyce nodded and she and Giles fell into a seat on the sofa, both looking so shocked they seemed to be unaware of their surroundings. Neither said anything or looked at anyone.

Lily looked over at Buffy and Dawn in concern, but those two were only faring slightly better.

"Do you like it?" Joyce suddenly asked, and the three girls looked over at her like 'huh?', "The name," She explained.

"Yes," Giles agreed, "B-because we, uh, we-we, could change it..."

"No, I like it," Lily assured them with a warm smile, "I mean...it's me now. It'd be weird if I was suddenly called like Nymphadora Giles or something. Plus you picked Lily for a reason"

"We did?" Joyce asked, her voice slightly higher than usual and she cleared her throat immediately afterwards and grabbed hold of Rupert's hand tightly.

"Yeah," Lily nodded, "But I'm not telling"

"Why do you keep looking at me?" Buffy asked, feeling slightly paranoid herself as Lily looked back at her yet again.

"Sorry...it's just all a bit...mind-blowing," Lily admitted, "I mean Mom and Dad are like twenty years younger...and you, you're my oldest sister and you're like my age. I mean in my time your like Mom's age now"

"_What_?_" _Buffy choked out, a mixture of emotions rushing through her. On the one hand- wow she actually made it to her forties. On the other hand- argh! Her forties. She looked at her Mom and maybe it was her Slayer mentality, but she found it very hard to contemplate being that age.

"So what are you like?" Dawn asked, taking a seat in one of the chairs.

"Excuse me?" Lily raised an eyebrow, completely clueless to what Dawn was asking her.

"Well, do you take more after Mom or Giles? Art geek or book geek? Ooh, are you a Watcher? Or do you not...ooh, but you're a member of the Scoobies right? The Scoobies _are_ still around?"

"Whoa, Dawn, ever heard of 'leaving space to breath'?" Buffy asked, taking a seat in the remaining chair, leaving Lily to sit down on the coffee table in between them all.

"Plus, I can't actually tell you anyway," Lily added.

"What? Why?" Dawn whined. She really wanted to know about the future. Just a few...dozen or so things, but that was all.

"'Consequences, the Domino Effect our actions can cause'," Lily droned off, as though she had heard the reasons a million times, "Dad's always going on about it,"

"You do a lot of time travel where you come from then?" Buffy asked sceptically and Lily shook her head with a laugh.

"No...well not much. It's more of a Willow thing."

"Willow's still using magic in your time?" Buffy asked, immediately on edge and her youngest not-yet-born sister winced.

"Oops," She realized, in that one little snippet of information she may have given away too much, "Oh-erm..." She turned to Giles, "I kinda see what you mean now..." She admitted.

"Well, uh, right now I'm actually more concerned with how you came to be here," Giles admitted.

"I don't know," Lily shrugged, "I mean one minute there I was talking to Xander- or rather _listening_ to Xander- and poof no more Xander and I'm...well...here"

"Oh," Giles said simply in reply, obviously having no clue what had happened, "Well that is...uh, slightly disconcerting"

"Ah don't worry, Dad,, you'll figure it out," Lily assured him,"You always do. In the mean time can I take a look around? Like Sunnydale and that?" She asked excitedly, the thrill of seeing Sunnydale before she was born, apparently being too much to resist.

"_No," _Everyone in the room except Dawn told her firmly.

"What? Why not?"She whined.

"Hey you were the one that was going on about consequences," Buffy retorted, "Have you even _seen_ what happened on _Back to the Future_?"

"Both one and two," Dawn added, "But not three...coz that's just a Western and really isn't anything to do with Marty's parents..."

"Fine," Lily grumbled, "Spoil my fun,"

"So...I'm guessing research mode?" Buffy asked Giles and he nodded in resignation.

"Well, there seems to be no other alternative," He admitted.

"Ooh yay- to the Magic Box," Dawn smiled, but it soon became a frown, "I am _allowed_ to do this research, right?" She checked and Joyce nodded with a smile.

"Yes, this time."

"Yay," Dawn repeated, already standing up and headed towards the door, right behind Lily. "Hey," She said, linking her arm through her younger sister's, "In the future...what I am like? Just generally speaking,"

"You know I can't tell you..." Lily began and Dawn frowned in disappointment, but it soon became a smile once again as Lily added, "...much, but I will say that you do kick ass on the fight front in the future and well...I've always looked up to you"

"Really?" Dawn asked with a grin

"Yeah, in fact...you were kinda like..." Lily seemed to search around for an appropriate word, "...my guide"

"A guide huh? Cool," Dawn nodded with an appreciative grin, clearly very pleased with what she had been told.

"Hello?" Buffy butted in, walking to stand beside them as they walked out the door towards the car, "What am I? Chopped Slayer?"

"You're...complicated,"Lily replied.

"Complicated?" Buffy asked incredulously as she followed the retreating figures, "What do you mean 'complicated'?"

Rupert and Joyce were the last to reach the front door, and they paused a moment to watch Lily talking to Dawn and Buffy. The latter two obviously trying to get her to spill information about the future.

"This is..." Joyce failed to find a word that would describe what was going on, but still, Rupert nodded in agreement. "I mean that's...she's ours...our little girl"

"Yes," Giles agreed, gulping in a way that wasn't quite inaudible and Joyce smiled at him knowingly.

"You like it when she calls you 'Dad' don't you?"

* * *

"Do we know what demon busting duty we'll be doing?" Willow asked as she, Xander and Anya reached the Magic Box.

"No, Buffy just said research time," Xander said.

"I thought it was very inconsiderate," Anya added, "She should know that few times I don't spend at the shop are usually spent with Xander and in that case, I do not wished to be disturbed"

"You mean 'we'," Xander corrected, but it was half-questioning, "'we' don't like to disturbed"

"Sure..." Anya half-heartedly agreed, before walking into the store, Xander and Willow following behind her.

"So what's the sitch people?" Xander asked as he saw Giles, Joyce, Buffy. Dawn and a girl he didn't recognize sat at the research table researching their little hearts out.

Everyone looked up in his direction, but the girl he didn't know was the one who looked most excited about their arrival. In fact, in Xander's opinion, she totally geeked.

"Oh my god," The Unknown Girl exclaimed, running over to the three of them, and giving Xander a hug that threatened his supply of oxygen. "I can't believe it- you guys look so different"

She then went on to hug Willow.

"Hi..." Willow said in reply, looking slightly wigged by this sudden attention.

"And oh my god- Anya!" The girl then went onto hug Anya, strangely enough, a lot more enthusiastically than she had hugged the other two.

"Okay, who is this chick?" Xander asked the group at the table, "And how come she knows us and we don't know her?"

"Xander," Buffy said, gesturing to the girl, "Meet Giles and Mom's daughter...in about twenty years. She's here from the future...for some reason."

"What?" Xander exclaimed, looking at the girl with wide eyes. "You're..."

"Lily. Hi" Lily greeted him pleasantly, holding out her hand for him to shake which he took weakly.

"Wow..." Was all Xander could find to say, "Uh...not tweedy at all. Very good." He looked back over at her parents and then back at Lily, "You look like your Mom" He stated simply, clearly having trouble forming his usual clever and witty sentence structures.

"Thank you..." Lily said slowly, obviously concerned about Xander, but instead of asking, she just hugging him again, before hugging Willow once more. She then went on to give Anya another bone-crushing hug, clearly ecstatic to see her.

"Well, _clearly_ I'm better than you two in the future," Anya surmised casually, "No surprise there"

"Hey guys? Now we're done with the hugging- of which, none of us got by the way-" Buffy added, "Could we get on with the research?"

* * *

It was an hour or so later into the non-stop research and the group still hadn't found anything that would explain Lily's sudden appearance.

"Uh, my head hurts," Dawn whined, flopping her head down on the table with a loud 'thunk'.

"Well, it will if you continue doing that," Lily quipped and Dawn shot her a glare.

"I can see you've inherited _his_ sarcasm," She guessed, jabbing a finger in Giles' direction and the man in question merely raised his eyebrows in mild surprise at the reference.

"Oh, yeah," Lily agreed, without doubt, "Although that wasn't my best" She added, before rubbing her eyes as though they were sore.

"What's the matter?" Joyce asked, looking at her in concern.

"Oh it's nothing," Lily waved the concern aside, "It's just my contacts are starting to itch"

"Contacts?" Buffy asked and Lily nodded.

"Mm-hmm. Along with Dad's eyes, I also got his eyesight...which, in all honesty isn't the most perfect in the world. I hardly ever wear my glasses though- I got contacts when I was like fourteen" At this comment she gave Buffy an accusing mini-glare that caused the Slayer to start a little.

"What was that look for?" She asked.

"I wanted contacts so badly when I was younger because you and Dawn were all...mocking-y" Lily explained and Joyce looked at her two oldest daughter disapprovingly.

"Buffy, Dawn," She reprimanded, even though they actually hadn't committed the crime yet and wouldn't for years to come.

"This researching is useless!" Xander suddenly exclaimed, slamming his book shut loudly and dramatically, "We got nothing"

At that precise moment a person burst into the store just as dramatically. A person that just happened to be a slightly-out-of-breath Ethan Rayne.

Buffy glared at Xander.

"You realize this is your fault, right?"

Ethan barely took two steps into the store, before the entire group went for him with something akin to murder in their eyes. Anya was the only one who remained seated. She glance over at the group and Ethan with mild interest, momentarily contemplating whether to join them or not. She decided on 'not' and instead picked up a nearby bridal magazine she had been hiding in one of the musty tomes, and began taking notes of anything that would be useful for her and Xander.

"Don't hit me," Ethan immediately said as the group reached him, holding his hands up slightly in defense.

"We're not gonna do that," Buffy assured him menacingly.

"Don't kick the crap out of me either," He added, but Buffy shook her head yet again, "Or...kill me" He said at a stretch, not sure whether the Slayer would go as far as to end his life. On the one hand Slayers don't kill humans, and on the other he'd caused her enough trouble to cause her to possibly see his murder as settling a score.

"I was actually planning on hitting you till you bled," Buffy informed him, already forming a fist, "It's a plan I've been working on for years"

"Years?" He asked and Buffy nodded.

"Yes, because every time you turn up trouble happens..." Buffy frowned in thought, "Oddly enough, usually something involving my Mother...so yes, years"

Ethan frowned himself as he contemplated what Buffy had said.

"Actually that is true..." He said, "Isn't that interesting?" He looked at Joyce and threw her his trademark wicked Aren't-I-Great grin, but found that unlike the first time he'd shown her that smile, this time she wasn't taken in and instead folded her arms to look at him evenly. He looked to see the three girls on her left- Buffy, Dawn and a girl he didn't know- were striking the same stance and expression. "Oh wonderful," He commented, "Matching fierce expressions all in a row. It's all very-" Ethan cut off as, after looking from one woman to the other, his eyes landed on Lily, and confusion flitted across his face. He looked at Lily and then turned his head to Giles, while keeping his eyes on Lily until the last moment. He looked at Giles for a moment, before looking back at Lily once again. Then he looked at Joyce. Rupert. Lily. "Hang on"

* * *

It was a little while later and while everyone was still pretty much wary of Ethan in the likely case that he might try anything, they had taken the time to explain the most recent of strange happenings in their life, mainly because he hadn't let up until they'd agreed to tell him.

"So you're..." Ethan looked at Lily with an expression of shock and wonder, "You're Ripper's daughter?"

Lily visibly seemed to be slightly uncomfortable with the use of the nickname, but she nodded anyway.

"From the future?" Ethan asked slowly. Another nod. "Well, this _is_ interesting," He finally said, finding the concept of Ripper having a kid very intriguing. "I wonder who you take after most m'dear- Rupert or Ripper" Lily and Giles both threw him a matching glare that clearly said 'what of it?', "Oh- no reason really," Ethan answered casually, reading their expressions surprisingly well, "Just well, if you are more Ripper inclined- it would be quite an interesting concept in the future. Reliving the good old times and all that. Plus the added bonus of getting your feathers ruffled," Ethan added, nodding at Giles.

"Don't think you didn't try," Lily murmured and Ethan raised an eyebrow in interest.

"Yes, but did I succeed?" He asked in that particularly smarmy way of his that Buffy found out was a sure fire to make her want to hit him.

Lily didn't answer his question, but remained silent as she sat there, which only intrigued Ethan more.

"Okay, I hate to break the getting-to-know-you portion of the program," Buffy cut in, "But what are you doing here Ethan?"

"Well, funnily enough, I think it might have something to do with...with..." He looked at Lily for a prompt and she rolled her eyes.

"Lily," She filled in patiently.

"Right. Why I'm here might have a lot to do with her"

"Meaning?" Buffy asked.

"Well,you see, I _was_ in that delightful town, Los Angeles," He said 'delightful' in a highly sarcastic way, heavily implying he thought the town to be anything but, "looking for a helpful little trinket that grants wishes"

"Wish-granting?" Anya asked, suddenly rapt with attention.

"Okay, honey, little less wish drooling," Xander told her, feeling slightly worried himself that she was still intrigued by that sort of thing. He sincerely hoped intrigued wasn't fast becoming tempted.

"Anyway," Ethan carried on, choosing to ignore Anya and Xander's interruption, "The talisman has a demon contained in it- and it's that creature that grants the wish. Unfortunately, _you_ got there before me," He said looking at Joyce.

"I did?" Joyce asked, eyes wide, "I didn't" Both Rupert and Buffy had told her time and time again not to say the words 'I wish' out loud and she always made sure she didn't. After all, Anya was always there as a constant reminder.

"Well, the evidence is right in front of you pet, as that little bracelet hanging off your bag is the talisman," Ethan told her pointing at the bracelet she had been looking at when she and Rupert were at the arts markets with Connor. Joyce looked at the piece of jewelery, saw it was clearly there when it hadn't been before, and moved away from it slightly as though afraid it was going to jump at her and bite her. But then again, it was Sunnydale so it could happen.

"_Mom_, you made a wish?" Buffy exclaimed in exasperation.

"You know never, never ever to say the word 'wish'," Anya added, just as urgently and just as exasperated, "Demons are _always_ listening in"

"I haven't wished anything," Joyce said in her defense, but then frowned as her thoughts drifted back to the market.

_Lorne may have said the baby would be okay, but Joyce wished there was a way she could know that her daughter would be okay- would be fine, would survive whatever destiny was to be forced upon her. _

_Joyce shook her head, shaking away her too-deep thoughts and she looked up to see the young woman at the stall was looking at her. Oh yeah, she still had hold of the bracelet._

"Does it count if I said the wish in my head?" Joyce asked and there was a collective groan from the majority of the group that made her feel a little embarrassed.

"If you had hold of the bracelet, yes," Anya told her, "Demons in talismans can tune into human's thoughts"

"I can't control my thoughts," Joyce protested.

"Joyce, what was it you wished for?" Rupert asked carefully and Joyce shrugged in a slightly guilty way.

"Just that I wanted to know if Lily was going to be okay dealing with all the destiny Lorne talked about,"

"Oh..." Lily said, acknowledging the fact that she was here simply because her Mother wished it so. Go figure, "Well, I'm fine," She told her with a perky smile and Joyce couldn't help but give a little smile back.

"So we know how Lily's here," Willow summarized, "But that doesn't really tells us how to get her back..."

"There's something else," Ethan spoke up and Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Something disaterful no doubt," She sighed, "What is it?"

"Well, Joyce wished the First Wish...which means,this uh...Lily, here, is the one powering the demon- giving it enough energy to go off and grant some other lucky beggars some wishes."

"And then what happens?" Buffy asked, "I mean demon-wise I'm assuming it's not going to end with 'and they all lived happily ever after'"

"Well, no..." Ethan admitted, "The demon'd use the energy from the wishes to make him whole again- free them from the bracelet and you can be sure they're decidedly less safe when they're no longer bound to the latest in spring fashions"

"Okay- so wishing equals badness," Lily concluded, "Why do you care?"

"I want to make a wish myself," Ethan replied, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, "I planned to make the first wish and then bind the little git before it got carried away, but then your bloody Mother beat me to it"

"_Hey,"_ Buffy, Dawn and Lily all protested in a synchronized warning tone. Joyce was quite touched, but then something occurred to her. The kind of thought that revealed to her that maybe she _did_ spend too much time with Rupert when he was on one of his research kicks.

"You said the demon takes the energy from the wishes to, uh, to revive itself?" She asked and Ethan nodded.

"Yes, that's the general idea."

"Does that mean- would it...would it eventually," Joyce struggled to actually say the word- it was made all the harder by the fact she kept remembering how she'd seen Buffy die once before, "Would it eventually...kill Lily?"

"Yes, I suppose so," Ethan agreed, without much emotion.

"We've gotta hurry with this research" Buffy spoke everybody's thoughts as everyone got up and already started heading towards the shelves for more texts that could help them. Even Anya set her bridal magazine aside.

"Quite," Giles agreed, "My strong suggestion is to initially stick to books that are more focused on wishing and bound demons. Then we'll branch out in time travel, Jagar demons- "

"Jagar demons?" Buffy asked with a raised eyebrow as she took a book off one of the shelves and headed back to the table.

"Demons that survive by draining the energy off of others," Lily told her automatically, the information just reeling off, and Giles could only be described as beaming with pride.

"Well, since you seem to have such a handle of things, I'll just be off- come back later," Ethan announced, already standing up, but Buffy placed a book in his hands.

"No one hates you being here more than I do," She told him, "Except maybe Giles. But while you are here, you're going to be useful"

"I am?"Ethan was skeptical.

"Uh-huh," Buffy nodded firmly, shoving him back down in his seat and he resignedly opened the book he had been assigned.

* * *

"Ah-ah!" Giles exclaimed later on, looking up from his book with an expression of accomplishment, "Ah it says here of Lysandria, a demon who wielded the power of the wish back in Ancient times and is the ancestral origin of Vengeance Demons," At this he gave a quick glance to Anya who immediately put on an innocent-as-could-be expression, "She became so powerful, through the magical energy she derived from granting wishes that she became a threat to the other demons and their own positions of power"

"Let me guess- it was them that bound her?" Buffy asked.

"Precisely" Giles nodded

"Well, the girl did say it was an antique," Joyce reasoned, looking at the bracelet from a safe distance.

"I think 'Ancient times' means it's closer to 'priceless', Mom," Lily added and Joyce shrugged in acceptance.

"Well, once the demon- uh, Lysandria- grants enough wishes," Giles carried on, "She will take corporeal form- ah, temporarily. Which means uh, one of two things can occur. One, she ah, once she has enough energy to ah- have _some_ abilities- she can drain the remaining energy from all granted wishes to become permanently whole"

"Meaning me?" Lily asked slowly, but Giles immediately shook his head.

"No, no...well, uh, yes technically, but that's ah- not an avenue we'll be pursuing. I promise"

"I figured," Lily smiled knowingly. Clearly, she was used to Giles getting all stuttery and flustered over uncomfortable subjects, "So, I'm guessing there's other options?"

"Well, of course, once Lysandria's in her temporary corporeal form, she is well, vulnerable"

"So I can get slay happy?" Buffy asked and Giles nodded.

"Yes, but oh for a different phrasing. There's also two other options, one of which is another we won't be pursuing"

"What's that?" Anya asked bluntly and Giles informed her that it was to kill the person who made the first wish, which, since it was Joyce, made it a definite non-answer.

"And the other?" Dawn asked

"Is to bind the the demon back in the bracelet," Giles finished, but Buffy was already shaking her head at that idea.

"Just so another poor innocently clueless person can wish themselves into a hell dimension? No. This demon girl is getting the slice and dice deal"

"What is the binding spell?" Lily asked Giles, seemingly ignoring Buffy's decision, "Is it hard?"

"No, it's surprisingly simple really" He admitted.

"We're not binding it," Buffy said firmly.

"Okay," Lily admitted, while taking the book off her Dad to have a closer look, "But it couldn't hurt to have a back up plan. I mean we don't know how strong this demon is"

"Urgh," Buffy let out a frustrated sigh, knowing that what Lily was saying was reasonable, but really not wanting to admit that, "Oh my god you're not even born yet and already you're doing the annoying little sister thing"

Lily attempted to give Buffy the same innocent expression Anya used but was decidedly less good at it.

"Fine," Buffy grudgingly accepted, before looking around at the others, but mainly at Giles "So if she's free now, any idea how we find this thing?"

* * *

"That was easy..." Anya commented as the group reached Weatherly Park, "Except for the part where she could be any of the hundreds of people walking by here"

They had located Lysandria pretty easily- it even made sense, Weatherly Park was a busy place (in the day) and would be full of people unconsciously making wishes- but unfortunately, it had been revealed through further research that she would look just like an ordinary woman. Whether she had a true demonic visage or not was unknown, but they could be pretty sure that walking around the park, she was going to be looking fairly human.

So, the entire group had traipsed to the park. They had dragged Ethan along, mainly for the reason that they couldn't trust him to be left alone without trying something chaotic. They had also initially tried to get Joyce to stay behind, possibly with Dawn, but since it was another daughter involved Joyce had refused to _not_ get involved, and so that meant no one was available to look after Dawn which meant...well, a whole group consisting of seven people and Ethan all stood together at the edge of the park not exactly looking inconspicuous.

"As much as I hate to admit it, Anya has a point," Buffy reasoned.

"Hey, offense taken" Anya told her testily, but Buffy seemed to ignore her.

"We have no clue where this Lissy gal is,"

"Looking for me?" A voice asked and they turned to see a young and pretty brunette stood there, blending in perfectly with the crowd.

Giles and Joyce instantly recognized her.

"You're the, the girl from the stall," Joyce pointed out, "Who handed me the bracelets"

"Wait, how is that possible?" Buffy asked, looking at Giles accusingly, but he truly had no answer.

"Uh, ah, I may have possible misread something"

"_Possibly?" _Xander repeated incredulously, like 'ya think?'.

"Lysandria I'm guessing," Buffy said, sizing the girl up in front of her. She looked like she could take her, but then again it had looked like she could take Glory. Then another again she had taken her in the end.

"Yes," Lysandria nodded, before looking at Giles and Joyce, "See, I can escape the bracelet for brief moments- perhaps no more than five minutes- at a time. I use that time to find someone appropriate to make a wish. Hadn't been one along in a while- you, my dear, were a gold mine"

"I was?" Joyce asked worriedly and Lysandria nodded with a smile.

"Oh yes, your mind addled with thoughts carrying the weight of the world. You were _bound_ to make a wish- at least think one. I could tell. Just as I could tell there was something that tasted of Slayer on you. That was an added bonus"

"Okay, taste? Icky word to use," Buffy told her, wondering why she so suddenly had found herself falling back into Slaying in the way she had originally enjoyed it (well as much as you could enjoy Slaying). Up until now, despite her confession, she had still been just going through the motions...going through Spike...oh god, bad thoughts Buffy, stay focused. "And second of all- you can 'taste' me on Mom?"

Lysandria looked at Buffy evenly.

"No...though I can also taste Slayer on you...being as you are one," Lysandria smiled a smile that wasn't quite friendly so much as calculating, "She still tastes of Slayer"

"I do?" Joyce looked even more worried than before, but now she was also confused.

"And so do you," Lysandria said, looking at Lily, "Well this is a fortuitous day. Slayers are always an interesting thing to challenge"

"First- Again a word choice faux pas," Buffy told her, "'thing'? We're not things. And second-" She turned to Lily, "You're a Slayer?!"

"Oh god..." Joyce was distraught. Another daughter a Slayer? This just wasn't fair- weren't any of her daughters _ever_ going to live a normal life. It was bad enough with the dangers Buffy faced everyday, but Lily was going to have go through the same thing. Suddenly, an even more distressing thought occurred to Joyce, "Wait, how- if you're a Slayer than either...oh God"

"No, it's fine. Buffy's alive in the future, remember?" Lily said immediately, and hoping no more questions were going to be asked, particularly about Faith, as there were things Lily really couldn't say yet. "Forty-two year old Buffy," Lily smiled, attempting at levity, but failing miserably. She sighed. She hadn't intended for any of them to ever find out she was a Slayer.

"Well, this is uh-" Giles couldn't think of a word that would describe the present situation.

"Fine," Lily filled in pointedly, "Everything is-"

Things stopped being fine as Lysandria, clearly bored with chitchat, tackled Lily to the ground.

"It has to be in a park in broad daylight," Buffy complained to herself as she headed forward, grabbing Lysandria by the collar and threw her off Lily and into a bush, "Couldn't be in a dark alley where no one would see us..."

She then spun around, knocking Lysandria even further backwards with a kick that connected right at the demon's jawline. The demon toppled in the direction of Lily, who much to Buffy's pride was ready and waiting, and roundhoused the demon into a tree. Lysandria seemed far from stunned by the that. In fact she looked hardly effected at all.

"Bugger," Lily cursed, causing Buffy to laugh a little. American accent and British sayings was an interesting mix. Although, now Buffy thought on it a little more, the girl did have a British twang as though maybe she'd spent time with you know the English-inclined, but had been corrupted at an early age by the Scoobies, thus forever preventing her from having an entirely RP accent

The two Slayers battled it out with Lysandria long enough to realize they were evenly matched, possibly with Lysandria having a slight nothing-seemed-to-faze-her advantage over them.

"Dad, Anya, Willow, one of you!" Lily called out as she fell hard on the ground after being backhanded by the demon, "I'm thinking the spell would be a good idea right about now"

"Yeah!" Buffy shouted in agreement as she ducked a punch, "Slaying not exactly a spectator sport here!"

The mention of a spell seemed to distract Lysandria for a moment as worry flitted across her face and Buffy used the moment to deliver a mean left hook that surprisingly knocking the demon unconscious.

"I'm good," Buffy smiled, quite pleased with herself, despite the fact she had as many cuts and bruises healing all over her body as Lily did. She looked around and saw not one person in the park had looked in their direction, "Sunnydale denial strikes again," She murmured as the others headed over.

"Perhaps we should get back to the house," Giles suggested, "I don't think the residents of Sunnydale have a range of denial that goes as far as to ignore a demon disappearing from their sight. Nice roundhouse punch there, Buffy, by the way"

"Thanks I- where's Ethan?" Buffy asked in panic, but was relieved when she saw Xander and Anya holding him back from running away, both of them doing so with minimal effort. It was like old times

* * *

"So you're a Slayer _and_ a Watcher?" Dawn asked later on as Giles prepared the binding spell around a surprisingly still unconscious Lysandria in the basement (Clearly, when frustrated, Buffy's punches were more lethal than usual) He asked Willow to help minimally with some of the preparation, which she gladly did, even though she was restricted to circle and rune casting.

"Yeah, pretty much," Lily admitted, but then saw her Mother's worried look and rushed to reassure her, "No, Mom, it's fine. I promise." Joyce still looked unconvinced, "Look it's all good okay? I mean, don't ever worry about it being too much for me. I mean with like both parents Watchers how c-"

"What?" The question was a collective one from the entire group gathered in the basement, and Giles nearly burnt himself on the match he was holding.

"Oh crap," Lily winced as she realized she had unwittingly given away another fact about the future, "Maybe I just shouldn't talk"

"Well, it's ready," Giles announced, standing up straight after preparing the spell with Willow.

"Well, I guess is the goodbye scene then?" Lily shrugged and everyone (excluding Ethan who had been forced to sit on the solitary chair in the room with Xander and Anya keeping an eye on him) commenced the Hugging Ritual, until only Rupert and Joyce were left.

"Well, uh, I kinda don't know what to say..." Lily admitted, "I could say something cheesy or witty or...well, nothing at all. It's up to you really. But given how much I've slipped up while I've been here, I suggest the nothing at all choice,"

It was at this that Joyce pulled Lily into a tight, warm hug.

"Oh, I'm going to miss you," Joyce told her, pushing her away slightly while still holding onto her shoulders so she could look into her unborn daughter's eyes, "I don't know if I can wait to know this person"

"Oh trust me you can," Lily assured her, "I'm an amusing bundle of joy from day one. Promise...more or less anyway"

Joyce hugged her again. They pulled away from one another eventually after each saying that they loved the other, and then it was Giles' turn.

It was true that, despite the fact he had known her only a day, he already had an unconditional love for this girl. However, physical signs of affection such as say, hugging, weren't really his game and he felt quite awkward making for any sort of hug. Lily took the choice out of his hands, when she spontaneously hugged him.

"Love you Dad," She told him, which Rupert found to be the most touching thing he had ever heard and he immediately told her how he loved her in return- it no longer felt awkward, or strange, but very natural. He then realized he was struggling to breathe.

"Remarkably strong," He choked out and Lily gasped in shock, letting go of him.

"Oh- sorry!" She apologized, "I forgot what with- sorry"

"No it's fine," He assured her, but his pained expression said otherwise, "Buffy's done worse"

"Well, should we do the spell?" Dawn suggested.

"Guess so," Lily nodded, before turning to look at Giles, "Let's get me back to the future, Doc"

"Oh marvelous- you've inherited the pop culture gene," He groaned, but only half meaning it.

"Ah, but it's one you knew," Lily countered.

"Erm, the demon's starting to get all wakey-wakey..." Willow informed them, hinting for Giles to get on with the three-worded binding spell.

"Ah right, well,erm let's see, ah- _everto exsisto reus_"

As usual, a powerful spell was surprisingly anti-climatic and without even so much as a purple puff of magic smoke, Lysandria was gone, presumably into the bracelet that had been taken off Joyce's bag and laid on the floor. Lily was also gone.

"Rupert, she's gone," Joyce said, feeling sad, even though she knew Lily hadn't died and she was meant to go back to the future.

"I know," Rupert said, sounding just as reflective and sad as he walked over and gave Joyce a side hug, that she gratefully fell into as she slipped her arm around his waist and rested her head partially on his chest.

"Well that was something you don't get to see everyday," Xander said, "Even _if_ you're us"

"I liked her. She was amusing in a carelessly blunt way," Anya added with a smile, "I say we bring her back"

Both Joyce and Rupert couldn't help but smile that Anya was voicing their own thoughts.

"Erm, guys..." Dawn pointed out quietly, eventually drawing their attention.

"What, Dawny?" Willow asked, thinking the fifteen year old was going to say something about Lily. Instead Dawn pointed in the direction of Ethan, who they found to be just finishing making a wish.

"Oh my god," Buffy couldn't believe her eyes, "You really do think you're above it don't you?"

"Aren't I though?" He grinned back, feeling quietly confident due to the fact he knew Buffy could do little to hurt him. Sometimes there were advantages to being human.

"No, not anymore, no," Buffy told him and his smile fell, "See, one of the options for stopping this demon was to kill the person who made the first wish and since that's you...I think I can pretty much class it as all for the greater good"

"What?" Ethan yelped, panic now creeping into his voice as he laughed nervously, "Now, now, let's not doing anything hasty"

_

* * *

_

* * *

"_I'm not sure exactly," Ethan said, answering honestly for once, "But I suspect if you took her to a doctors they'd have some scientific explanation. A brain tumor more than likely" He said the devastating information with such casualness that Buffy couldn't believe how truly heartless he could be as she felt her Mother silently break down. Buffy tried to keep herself together. Her Mom had a brain tumor? Worse still, Dawn was the cause of it?_

"_Oh god…" She heard her Mom murmur. Joyce leaned into Giles and he put his arms around her, seeming in control of the situation but Buffy saw the briefest look in his eyes that showed he was very far from in control and was as close to breaking down as her and her Mom. Buffy decided to channel her upset through anger. At Ethan._

"_So the hospital could fix this?" She asked him, "The doctors could fix it- so why the hell are you here? Why are you even involved?"_

"_Well, not exactly," Ethan smiled slightly as he answered, but it wavered when he saw Buffy and Giles both glaring at him, "Well, what I mean is, they could operate on the tumor, but she'll just begin fighting the spell again. Even though she knows the truth now- she'd still be refusing to accept the manipulations"_

"_I accept Dawn," Joyce told him, "She's my daughter"_

"_Be that as it may," Ethan accepted, "Your subconscious isn't too keen on the concept and it'd carry on fighting. And th_e _symptoms will reform. Perhaps as another tumor or maybe even a more fatal aneurysm"_

_"Where do you come into this?" Joyce challenged Ethan head-on._

_"I want to help," He told them._

* * *

"Buffy, no" Joyce said, before Buffy could cause any damage to Ethan.

"Mom?" Buffy frowned, "Mom, he's just deliberately freed the demon yet again."

"Buffy, please," Joyce said wearily, "Just...don't"

"Yes, listen to your Mother Buffy," Ethan insisted, but quietened when Rupert and Joyce threw him a glare that matched Buffy's.

Joyce looked to Rupert and was greatly thankful to see that the same thought she was having were going through his own mind as well. As horrible as it was to admit, they owed Ethan. Big time. And for that, they couldn't let him be sacrificed for the greater good. They would just have to deal with Lysandria the hard way again.

"Buffy, you can't," Giles said in agreement with Joyce and Buffy sighed in frustration.

"Fine, but what about the wish?"

Suddenly, Anya brought down a heavy object (that revealed itself to be an iron) down on the bracelet, smashing it into a million pieces with a flash of blue light.

"Problem solved," Anya grinned.

"Anya, what did you just do?" Giles asked.

"Well, I figured since you said she's the same kinda thing as Vengeance Demons that maybe destroying the bracelet would work in the same way as destroying our- that is, erm..a vengeance demon's power center."

Everyone looked at her tiredly, sighing collectively and unanimously and silently deciding not to ask why she hadn't suggested that before.

* * *

"I miss her," Joyce said the following night as she and Rupert sat together on the sofa in the living room, enjoying one of those rare moments where they were alone in the house.

"Me too," Rupert agreed, "But she's not really gone"

"No," Joyce agreed, "But I think it'll be a long while before she'll be able to talk that fast"

"Good point," Rupert acknowledged.

"Why is she a Slayer?" Joyce suddenly asked, causing Rupert to frown, "I mean , I understand why she'd be a Watcher, that makes sense- but a Slayer? It's not fair and it doesn't make sense"

"While I agree that perhaps it isn't fair," Rupert reasoned, "It does make sense. She inherits it from you"

"What?" Joyce asked, sitting up straight as she looked at Rupert in confusion.

"The Slayer gene passes down through the females in a family, generation to generation. Remaining redundant until a Slayer is called in the family, or at least a potential." Rupert explained to her, "The Slayer in your family could have easily have been your Mother, Grandmother, Great-great grandmother, even you. It's how the Watcher's Council recognizes Potentials before they're called- by their family line. If there has already been a Slayer in a girl's family, it is more of a likelihood that she will be called or is a Potential. It was why Buffy slipped under the Council's radar completely. For one she never emitted any signs of being a potential, but also no Slayers or Potentials have ever occurred in your family before- actively so anyway"

"So...it's my fault Buffy's a Slayer? And Lily?" Joyce asked sadly and Rupert shook his head.

"No, not at all. You must never consider this to be your fault, Joyce, or anyone's. It is their destiny and I'm afraid that is all to be said about it. I am merely saying that for two of your daughters to be a Slayer is undoubtedly to do with the Slayer gene being inherited through your family and this being the active generation," Rupert frowned suddenly, "I suppose the reason for Dawn not being a potential- or at least not to our knowledge- is the fact that she came about by...well, rather unconventional means"

"Well, to quote Buffy 'it sucks'" Joyce grumbled, but curling up to Rupert nonetheless and he chuckled slightly.

"I agree," They were silent for a little while before Rupert finally brought up something he had been pondering about since yesterday, "A Watcher eh?"

"Don't start," Joyce told him firmly, not even looking at him.


	15. The Merry Bells

Abryxis- Hey again, thanks for review. Yeah, Giles does like the idea of Joyce being Watchery- I think it's because it's another part of his life he can share with her. And ah, well, as to Anya and Lily, you'll just have to see how Anya's storyline turns out. ;-) hehe. Glad you liked Lily though, I may try and find a way to see if I can write her back in again- she's fun. hehe

g120- thank you for the review. Lily seems to be a hit. I kinda wanted her to be fun, you know, the one sister not permenantly angsty and such. The light at the end of the tunnel deal. hehe. I know she was only in for one chapter, but I might try and write her in again at a later date. But yes, she was a way of showing Joyce that everything will be fine- doesn't stop Joyce from worrying though. Haha.

buffyangel47- Hey, thanks for the review. Glad you like the story so far

zigpal- Yay, i have my claps. haha. And yes the Summers/Giles (is that Gummers? hahaha, sorry that just really made me laugh. I think I may have had too much sugar- donuts were three for two at the corner shop today...) family is doing quite well in the future. From what we've seen anyway. We know things never go simply for them. hehe.

* * *

A/N: I know it's totally the wrong time of the year but...well, tis a Christmas chapter.

* * *

Willow was Jewish...and well, a Witch also which meant she was Wiccanly inclined of course, but Willow also loved Christmas. She loved it when Sunnydale was covered in sparkly pretty things as colored fairy lights trailed from store to store and they had all the red and gold tinsel around the frame. 

Of course, the only thing missing to complete the scene was snow. But that had only happened once in Sunnydale- and that, Willow strongly suspected, had been a Powers That Be deal.

Still, Christmas was a fun time of the year and as Willow headed to the Magic Box for another of her training sessions with Giles, she heard in her head the John and Yoko song _Merry Christmas_, followed even by little voices chanting the backing lyrics of 'war is over, if you want it'

"It's a little choir in there," Willow grinned to herself as she pushed open the magic shop door and came face to face with - "Tara"

"W-willow," Tara looked down slightly, nervous at seeing Willow again. There were so many confusing feelings at the thought of her, that seeing her again made them all the more confusing.

"What are you doing here?" Willow asked, before immediately correcting herself, "I mean, of course you'd be here, I mean this is a magic store and you're all magically inclined and stuff what with being a witch and so obviously...you'd...be...here..."

"Yeah, I just needed some peppermint oil," Tara told her and Willow nodded knowingly.

"The only store that sells it pre-blessed by Vestal Virgins," A thought occurred to Willow, "I suddenly don't want to know who Giles trades with"

Tara smiled a little at the endearingly typical thought of her girlfriend(ex).

"W-what are you doing here?" Tara asked, suddenly suspicious. Was Willow _still_ doing magic? If so, then there really was no hope for their relationship.

"Oh-oh, I'm not doing Magic, if that's what you...well, I am, but not in the way that you think," Willow babbled and Tara just looked confused on top of suspicious, "I mean that erm...Giles is helping me. With my addiction. He's training me from the beginning. Nothing more than circle casting for me so far. Though I think we're moving onto calling the elements for the circle now so...you know, I'm getting there. Step-by-step."

"Oh,"

"Yeah," Willow nodded, feeling a little more comfortable with Tara now as she got onto a comfortable topic, "He's teaching me to ground immediately after completely spells and everything. He said not doing that may have been what got me...well, you know."

Addicted. The word wasn't said, but it was there.

"You could come watch..." Willow suggested shyly, "I mean not in pervy way" Oh god, why couldn't she shut up sometimes? "But like just to see how I'm...or you could help Giles"

"That...would be nice," Tara smiled, wanting to help Willow in anyway possible. And if she could help in her actual recovery, then all the better.

"You'd have to check with Giles though," Willow told with a smile that couldn't help being so wide- the mere thought of talking to Tara again making her positively giddy, "He's pretty anal over who gets to be in the session. It's pretty much a close off the world deal"

"I am not," Giles said, suddenly appearing behind Willow, apparently walking out from the basement and Willow jumped. "Hello Tara"

"Hi,"

"So can she?"Willow asked Giles, feeling like a five year old asking her friend to stay over for dinner.

Giles thought about this for a moment, wondering whether Tara's presence would be a negative or positive influence on Willow's progress. He finally decided that Tara could only ever be a positive influence for anyone, and, it was Tara's attitude towards magic that Giles was aiming for Willow to reach, after all.

"Yes, I, uh, I don't see why not," He finally said, "Tara could be of some help if she wishes"

"Oh she wishes," Willow assured him confidently, before turning to Tara, "You do wish right?"

* * *

"... and your hormone levels are just fine," Doctor Steadman informed the couple as he looked down at a clipboard of results. 

"Oh thank god," Joyce breathed as she rested her back, closing her eyes in pure relief as she and Rupert finished listening to the doctor list off all the (thankfully, good) results.

"Well, everything's perfectly fine," The Doctor smiled, "Now let's have a closer look shall we?"

"Uh..." Joyce always wondered why Doctors always asked questions as though the patient had a choice, when they obviously didn't. And why they always use a collective pronoun. 'And how are we today'. Remember Doctor, we are not a schizophrenic. Joyce inwardly sighed as she realized she was just getting tetchy due to the fact she knew that the doctor was going to slather on that highly unlikable, cold gel.

"Now this may be a little cold," The Doctor told her. "Right now let's see..." He murmured as he started the ultrasound and an image flickered up on the screen. As Doctor Steadman looked over the images on the screen, Joyce instinctively reached for Rupert's hand. "There we go," The doctor finally said, "There, see just there?"

The couple, leaned forward, squinting until they found the tiny peanut shaped being that would one day be the 20 year old Lily they had met just over a week ago.

"She's so tiny," Rupert said simply, finding himself unable to say anything else and Doctor Steadman chuckled.

"Well, they usually are at this stage. You think it's going to be a girl then?"

"Pardon?" Giles asked, confused.

"You referred to the baby as a 'she'," Steadman pointed out, "So you think it might be a girl then?"

"Yes," Both Joyce and Rupert said firmly in synchronization, their eyes still on the screen.

"Okay...I can see you're both confident in that fact..." The Doctor said warily, "But remember there's a 50/50 chance. Could easily be a boy"

"No it couldn't" The two spoke yet again in synchronization, before realizing they were confusing the poor doctor with their overly confident statements that their baby was going to be a girl.

"Parental instincts," Joyce 'explained', "I don't like to doubt them"

Steadman just smiled patiently at them and both Rupert and Joyce were sure they had merely assured the Doctor that they were obsessive nutcases.

"Would, you, uh, would you like a picture?" Steadman asked, gesturing at the ultrasound screen, "Most parents do you see"

* * *

"Decking the halls is fun," Xander said as he helped Buffy, Dawn (and by extension also Willow- she just kept widening her religious horizons everyday didn't she- and Anya) put up Christmas decorations at 1630 Revello Drive, "It's so much funner than halls at my folks'" 

"We decorated our place though," Anya informed them, "Though after we did the tree, Xander told me there was second meaning to the phrase 'trim the tree'-"

"Could we _not_ go further with this story?" Buffy asked desperately, attempting to cover Dawn's ears, before returning to hanging a glass ornament on one of the tree branches.

"We're back," Joyce announced as she and Rupert stepped in through the front door, looking around at the wonderland the gang had made the house, "My- It's very Christmassy in here,"

"So, we got a little carried away" Xander smiled, wafting the concern aside.

"The sparkly objects just asked to be used," Anya informed her as she gestured at the tree where indeed every sparkly tree ornament had been hung.

"So how'd it go?" Buffy asked, referring to the ultrasound.

"Fine," Giles told them, "That is until we so adamantly assured the doctor it was a girl he became highly concerned for our sanity"

"But other than that _fine_," Joyce added as she took off her coat and hung it up. "But I've been thinking"

"Thinking?" Buffy asked only sounding slightly worried. Joyce thinking usually led to some plan that yet again proved how naïve she could still be at times.

"About Christmas" Joyce explained as she and Rupert walked into the living room where the others were, "I assume you're all coming for Christmas dinner again?"

"No way are we gonna miss out on that delicious turkey deal," Xander assured her.

"Though I may have to cut back on the nog this year," Willow added, thinking back to how ishy she had felt afterwards last year.

"Well, it occurred to me that none of you ever spend Christmas with your own families" Joyce continued and no one there could deny it was true. Anya of course didn't have a family, and Tara, even though she wasn't there presently, had a family that was understandably avoided by her, but both Willow and Xander, while having families in Sunnydale seemed to spend more time at Revello Drive than with their own parents. "And I was wondering," Joyce carried on, "If perhaps we should invite them also. For Christmas dinner I mean"

"My family are Jewish," Willow immediately pointed out in an innocently confused voice.

"Yeah," Xander nodded in eager agreement, "And my family are...crazy"

Neither Xander or Willow were at all keen on the idea of their parents spending Christmas with them. The two weren't exactly from the sanest or even nicest parental dynamics.

"I'm sure they're not that bad," Joyce smiled, assuming Xander was exaggerating, "It's probably just how you remember things from when you're a teenager. Things always look bad with your parents then"

"Don't I know it..." Dawn murmured but when Joyce immediately looked at her with a questioning expression, she cleared her throat before giving her Mother an entirely innocent look, "Coughing...not talking" She told her.

"Look, I'm sure it will be fine," Joyce said, returning her attention to Willow and Xander- the two in question couldn't help noticing that Buffy, Giles, Anya and Dawn were all firmly staying out of this suggestion, "It'll be nice to actually see your parents during the holiday season"

Willow and Xander shared a look that could very easily be read as 'Joyce is in naïve denial mode again'.

"Uh, I don't think my parents, particularly Dad would be at all keen on the idea of a Christmas Day dinner," Willow tried again, telling Joyce the honest truth. After all, Willow didn't go to Xander's to watch the Charlie Brown Christmas for no reason.

Joyce seemed to consider this argument and for a small moment Willow thought she had won and she inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well," Joyce began, "I'll just tell them it isn't necessarily a Christmas dinner...but...a meal in the holiday season for them to share with their only daughter"

This stopped Willow cold. That sounded like just the kind of argument that would win her parents over, particularly her Mother. So, it was this that urged Willow to try to discourage Joyce one last time.

"But- are you sure? I mean Mom and Dad are pretty much the uber scholarly type. They're not much for interaction with other people"

"Nonsense," Joyce told her, "When I met your Mother I got on quite well with her"

"Well...you were both possessed," Willow pointed out weakly.

"Joyce, I _really_ don't think you want to invite my parents over," Xander said, "Seriously. They are completely and utterly...unlikable. Anthony and Jessica Harris are not people you want to have round for a family meal. It'll end in badness"

"Xander," Joyce said simply in a slight warning tone and Xander stopped talking.

"What?" He asked.

"I'm asking them" She stated in a way that left no room for arguments. She then returned attention to Willow again, "Now there was something else I've been thinking about"

"You wanna invite more relatives?" Willow asked with a resigned sigh, but Joyce shook her head.

"Actually...I was wondering about...Tara," As she said the name, Joyce looked at Willow in concern, aware of how this could be a very sensitive topic for Willow.

"Tara?" Willow asked, voice shaking slightly.

"I know we're all very close to her and I would like to invite her..." Joyce told her, "But if you feel it would be too much for you...or for both of you...then I understand"

"No," Willow said, "No...I, uh, yeah. You should. I-invite her. You know, it's Christmas for her too. And she might be you know all alone and such. And I mean it's not like we haven't seen each other since we...had some space. I mean she came to my last magic session with Giles. You know- helped. Did spells. So it could be..without being you know"

"Erm..." Joyce looked around at everyone, looking slightly confused, before she looked back at Willow, "So that was a 'yes'?"

* * *

"There's a downside to Christmas," Anya said to everyone as The First Noel played quietly in the background at Buffy's house. Everyone had arrive except The Parents of Xander and Willow, and also Tara had yet to arrive. 

"There is?" Dawn asked with a frown as she laid out the plates on the dining room table.

"Yes," Anya told her confidently, "It's just you unwrap the presents in the morning- and this is all very exciting- but then there's none left. And everything's unwrapped and it's like 'oh'. A big fizzle of 'oh'."

"Ah yes, of course. The fizzle," Buffy said semi-knowingly as she placed cutlery on the table to accompany the plates Dawn had laid out.

A knock at the door drew them all to silent attention, each of them trying to guess who could be on the other side of the door. The Harrises or the Rosenburgs. Buffy, being the Slayer, felt it was her duty to be the one to open the door.

"Tara," She smiled when she saw it wasn't a fearful presence stood on the doorstep, but Tara instead. "Hi"

"Merry Christmas," Tara said in greeting and Buffy frowned a moment as though actually forgetting it was that time of the year.

"What? Oh yeah, Merry Christmas. Erm- come on in" Buffy stepped aside to let her in and Tara looked around for where the rest of the gang were and saw them in the dining room. But as she headed forward, the person she saw most of all was Willow.

"Willow- hi"

"Hi. Tara." Willow smiled. "This is- Happy Christmas and tidings and other joy-filled things..."

As awkward silence fell on the room, Dawn headed into the kitchen to tell her Mom and Giles that Tara had arrived.

"Hey," Dawn smiled, but realized her Mom was alone in the kitchen and she was tugging awkwardly at her light blue top- the one Buffy had suggested she wear since it had sparkles around the bottom, claiming this made it Christmassy. "Okay two questions- one, where's Giles? And two- what's wrong with your top?"

"Oh erm, he's just taking out the trash- glamorous job I know," Joyce added with a smile.

"And the top...?" Dawn prompted.

"The top?"

"Yeah, you were tugging at it and stuff," Dawn explained, "It looks fine you know. Buffy's usually pretty right about these things"

"Oh no it's not..." Joyce sighed, "It's just- like most things in my wardrobe lately- it's getting a little..." She searched around for an appropriate word, "Snug"

"Snug?" Dawn repeated.

"Well, not tight but tighter." Joyce explained, "It just keeps riding up because of it. I keep having to tug it down" She sighed with a slight smile, "Another wonderful part of pregnancy"

"Well it's all good in my book," Dawn told her, giving her a hug, "But..should you like be doing all this?"

"I'm fine" Joyce told her, "It's not like I'm eight months. But you're very sweet," Mid-hug, something occurred to Joyce, "What'd you do?"

"What?" Dawn asked, expression very innocent.

"You're in lets-take-care-of-mom mode and that usually means you're up to something"

"I'm not. Nothing is up. Everything is planted firmly on the ground," Dawn told her, "Just want to make sure you're okay and also...to tell you and Giles that Tara just got here"

"Did she?" Joyce asked, wiping her hands on a nearby towel before heading out of the room to greet Tara.

After she left, Dawn was left with her own thoughts. Okay she hadn't been telling the entire truth when she told her Mom nothing was up. Well, it wasn't that she was up to something, but she figured not everything was on the A side of OK. The same thought had been preying on the teenagers mind pretty much non stop, even before Lily had Michael J Foxed her way into their lives last week. The thought that technically Lily was her Mom's second daughter not her third. That Buffy and Lily were the two that were _truly_ sisters, no matter how much they may include Dawn as one of them. On some level Dawn knew she was being ridiculous. Her Mom had said so many times that no matter how Dawn had come into their lives, she was theirs, she was part of their family no matter what.

Her thoughts were broken as Giles came in through the back door.

"Dawn." He smiled, but it turned to a frown when he realized his wife wasn't where he left her, "Where's your Mother?"

"In there," Dawn told him, pointing in the direction of the dining room, "Tara just arrived"

"Ah right," Giles nodded, closing the back door, "Shall we then?" He asked gesturing in the direction Dawn had just pointed out and the two of them headed back to where the rest of the group were.

* * *

"Well, _I _wanted to invite Spike and so did Dawn," Joyce said a little while later as everyone was helping out in the kitchen for once. Actually the helping out consisted of Giles cooking, Joyce also cooking (when she wasn't enjoying a break and talking to the others), Anya peering and seeing what was cooking, Xander joking, Buffy semi-helping, Dawn talking, Willow talking and Tara being the only one truly helping. 

"Mom, you didn't did you?" Buffy asked, eyes suddenly wide with panic

"No," Joyce shook her head as she took a sip of her drink. It was the same fancy non-alcoholic drink Dawn was having and for a split moment Joyce couldn't help feeling a little envious of the people around her drinking white or red wine, "Rupert said it was a ridiculous idea and 'not in a million years was I to invite a vampire to a Christmas celebration'."

Buffy nodded in relief before walking over to Giles and half-whispering to him:

"She really wanted to invite Spike?"

"Yes," He half-whispered back, "The only reason I can give behind it is well-"

"Her crazy pregnant woman hormones?" Buffy filled in with a smile and he nodded.

"Yes, she seems to have an unconditional love for everyone this week," He explained and Buffy had to laugh a little.

There was the sound of knocking at the front door and everyone simultaneously froze.

"Parents," Willow and Xander said, looking at each other, wondering whose dreaded folks had arrived first.

Joyce and Giles, technically being the ones who were head of the household headed out of the kitchen first and the rest followed on, each filled with a mixture of anxiety and curiosity.

When the front door opened Anthony and Jessica Harris were met by not one or two faces, but a whole sea of them. However, initially they seemed unaware of their presence as presently Jessica was looking at Anthony in annoyance, the reasoning behind that possibly lay in the fact that Tony already looked like he'd had a few.

"You must be Anthony and Jessica- Xander's parents," Joyce greeted them with a smile, which Jess returned but Tony didn't.

"Yes, hi," Jessica smiled at them, shaking Joyce's hand before shaking Rupert's.

"I'm Joyce and this is Rupert," Joyce introduced and Jessica nodded, taking this information but then she paused in confusion as she looked at Giles.

"Weren't...once I saw you when- didn't you work at the old high school?"

"Yeah," Xander nodded, "Joyce married the librarian Mom," He merely grinned when both Joyce and Rupert gave him a look for his bluntness.

"Oh," Jessica said in comprehension, "So you're ah 'Giles' then. Xander used to talk about you a lot. It's ah, I suppose it's good to have familiar role models outside the family...I guess"

Now it was Giles' turn to grin as he saw Xander's face fall as his Mother revealed this tidbit of information.

"Yes, well why don't you come in?" Joyce said, stepping aside so the couple could get actually get in without meeting a barrier of people.

"It was lovely of you to invite us," Jessica told her, while her husband looked less than impressed by the entire affair.

"I don't see what the big deal is," He grumbled, "Might as well despise each other in the comfort of our own home"

Jessica looked visibly uncomfortable and embarrassed at that remark, but quickly smoothed it over as she smiled at her son.

"Xander, I haven't seen you in such a long while," She told him as though he didn't know this, before giving him a hug that Xander did not look the most comfortable with.

"You must be Anna," Anthony said, looking at Anya, who, when he got her name wrong, frowned in disapproval.

"Anya," She corrected him.

"Anya then," He nodded, "Xander's getting married to you and we haven't even met you till now. My son's got taste though, can see that"

Anya chose to take this as a compliment and smiled.

"But what I don't get is what you, a pretty woman who according to what Jessica has heard, owns a shop-"

"Half owns," Giles automatically corrected, before he could stop himself. As regards to the shop he could be as bad as Anya sometimes.

"-could possibly see in my son," Tony continued, not even acknowledging what Giles had said.

At this comment Jessica looked ashamed and Xander was, despite how much he felt he already knew how terrible his Father could be, deeply hurt. But, Anya came through and proved again to Xander why he loved her so much, as she became the first person ever to stun Anthony Harris into silence.

"Oh it's his sexual prowess," She informed him with a polite smile, "He's a complete animal in bed. And he isn't afraid to use handcuffs"

Ant was taken aback and looked at Anya in silence for a moment before turning to Joyce and asking:

"Where're the drinks?" He looked around and spotted a bottle of wine set on the table, "Never mind. I've got it," He told her before heading off to retrieve the red wine.

* * *

"I could help with some of the plans," Jess said to Anya a little while later as they sat in the living room, "I know how much help is needed when you're planning a wedding. Sometimes there just isn't enough"

"No, it's fine," Anya told her, "I've got everything under control. Xander contributes and of course Buffy and Willow also help. And then Joyce helps too- I mean she's been through it twice so I figured she'd have some tips. So thanks, but no thanks" Anya smiled and Jessica's own smile faltered.

"Okay..." She accepted, "You and Xander spend a lot of time with uh...with Joyce? And Rupert of course? You own a store with Rupert correct?"

"Yes," Anya nodded, unaware that her future mother-in-law was feeling slightly threatened by the motherly presence Joyce obviously had in Xander's life. "Yeah, Giles is okay store-wise, but personally I think I'm the brains of the operation. Without my help he would have been bankrupt _years_ ago. And Xander did all the shelving and layout. So yes, without us, Giles would be a wreck. Except for Joyce. I think she'd still be there. Probably. I mean, if he was bankrupt maybe she wouldn't have seen anything in him anymore? Then again, a guy who will have sex with you on a shop floor and on the hood of police cars must have _some_ redeeming qualities past money and sarcasm," Anya said thoughtfully, unaware that she had said too much to the now very startled Jessica.

"And of course Xander's always going to Joyce when it's my birthday or it's Christmas or our dating anniversary or whatever coz, between you and me, Xander isn't the best at picking presents"

"She helps him pick out gifts for you...?" Jessica asked slowly, feeling more and more like she was being replaced. After all wasn't that sort of task up to a Mother?

"Well, she used to" Anya told her, "Now he's getting into the swing of things on his own. He got me this for Christmas this year," She held out her right wrist on which was a simple silver bangle with diamonds zig-zaged across the top half.

A knock on the door prevented Jessica from thinking too much on how her own husband never bought her things like that, never bought her much at all in fact.

"Hey, that was fast," Buffy commented as her Mother reached the front door, "I was just about to come get you in the kitchen"

"She's not in the kitchen," Giles told her as he did come out of the kitchen, Tara and Willow behind him. "Your Mother came to the realization that Lily isn't particularly fond of Joyce being in smelling distance of roasting turkey"

"Oooh," Buffy nodded, before grimacing as the visual set in, "Eww"

Joyce opened the door to Ira and Sheila Rosenberg who looked a lot happier to be there than Xander's parents had.

"Sheila, hi," Joyce smiled,"I'm so glad you could come"

"Hi, Joyce," Sheila smiled back, already stepping into the house and looking around, "Well, the family atmosphere is so very obviously felt- know wonder Willow likes coming here for Christmas- despite being Jewish- since it obviously creates a very warm comfort zone for her in this confusing time of her college life"

"Well you know me and my zones," Willow smiled weakly.

"Well, since I hardly see my daughter nowadays, I realized this was my only chance and I took it," Ira said, also looking around at the house, "I see you don't go for the religious side then- you know, no crosses anyway"

"Well erm, no," Joyce told him, "We're celebrating Christmas, not Easter"

* * *

It was when dinner was finally served that they realized how truly cramped the dining room table was. For a table that seats eight it was now fitting twelve so people were placed directly side to side, which Buffy realized that although most had no complaints about that Jessica and Anthony looked a little less than happy about being forced to sit so close to each other. Buffy suspected that it was something to do with the fact that Tony was officially on the verge of drunk.

"So you two got married last year," Sheila commented to Joyce and Giles and the couple nodded.

"Yes," Joyce replied, "But we erm, we'd been seeing each other since the kids were in their senior year"

"Well, I be-" Sheila began to say something that Willow feared would be a very psychoanalyst-y comment in reply, but Jessica spoke over her.

"Are you happy together?" She asked, with something of a wistful look in her eyes,"Or have you gotten past the newly wed stage?"

"Well, uh, I would say we're past the newly wed stage," Giles replied, looking at Joyce warmly, "But yes, we're still very happy"

"Most of the time," Joyce added with a smile.

"The first year of marriage," Anthony said into his drink, "That's when things start to go. Hmm. The wife's waistline for example- our Jess here used to be a size four- closer to four_teen _now eh?" He said with a smirk, looking at Jessica as she tried to cover the hurt that comment caused. Anthony pointed at Joyce with his glass unaware that everyone had become silent as he started talking, "You've started putting it on as well I see," He pointed out, "Just a bit round the middle now but...well, there's time"

This comment so threw both Rupert and Joyce that they actually didn't have anything to say in reply, so it was actually Xander who spoke up, albeit with his head hung low in shame.

"Dad...she's pregnant. She supposed to put on weight..."

"That's not what your Father thinks," Jessica replied, "He was horrified when I began putting on weight when I was pregnant with you."

"No," Anthony protested, "It was just _you_ I was horrified at. It's why I need so much alcohol honey- so I can distort your features."

"Now, let's uh, let's not throw meaningless insults and jibes that we can't take back," Sheila intervened, "This is supposed to be a nice familial meal"

"You're Jewish," Anthony retorted, "So what do you know about it?"

"Now just a minute here," Ira spoke up just as Jessica was trying to calm Anthony down, "You have no right to speak to my wife in that way. I-"

"I don't need you to defend me," Sheila told him, "I can do perfectly fine by myself"

"Anthony- could you please...maybe if you didn't have so much to drink," Jessica pleaded.

"I can drink as much as I like," Anthony retorted and the argument amongst the Rosenbergs and the Harrises escalated until the noise of it had taken over the entire dining room.

Joyce could only watch, distraught, as the entire meal officially went down the drain. It was just too much- why couldn't everything just go fine for once?

As the arguments got worse, Giles looked worriedly at Joyce. She'd been incredibly emotional this week, bursting into tears at infomercials and the like, and as the arguments escalated he saw the telltale signs that she was about to cry about the whole thing.

"I just wanted everything to be nice," She told him in a voice that had yet more warning signs that Joyce was precariously close to crying.

"And it will be nice. This is just a slight hiccup," Rupert told her, "But please...everything's fine...there's no need to- please don't-" It was too late. They weren't loud cancer-of-the-puppy sobs, but it was still crying. As Rupert held her, hoping to calm her cries he looked over at Buffy who simply put, looked at her wit's end. After all, Anthony and Jessica were arguing, Anthony was drunk, he was also arguing with Ira, Sheila was arguing with Ira for defending her when she could defend herself, Joyce was crying- everything was out of control.

"OKAY SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Anya exclaimed suddenly, standing up to slam her hands down on the table loudly and everyone fell into silence so the only sound to be heard was Joyce's little sobs (that for one moment sounded more like a hiccup) and Rupert's occasional soothing 'shh'. "Now, you are all going to sit down quietly and you are going to eat and you are going to enjoy what you are eating. You may occasionally talk about non provocative topics such as the Christmas rush and the fact that the traffic is bad this year and that profits are up 30 per cent. Occasionally you may toast"

* * *

After Anya's little outburst, things did quieten down at least to the extent that Sheila and Ira stopped arguing and well, Jessica just chose to ignore most of Anthony's comments. And now, the entire party had settled down in the living room as Nat King Cole sang about chestnuts, fires and Jack Frost.

Ira and Sheila were sat together on the large armchair, looking quite sweet together but not particularly personal, Willow and Tara sat against the wall on the floor in the corner, not quite next to each other, but talking to one another as neither one was sure anymore about where they were on the relationship train. Anya and Xander were sharing the smaller chair together just like Willow's parents were, but they looked a lot more snugglesome than the Rosenbergs and regularly kept indulging in random kissage. The only other kissage indulging couple in the room was Rupert and Joyce who were curled up on end of the sofa together. Rupert had his arm around her while Joyce lay her head on his chest, occasionally looking up at him as the two kissed. Rupert was enjoying the moment immensely, particularly since she had stopped crying about the dinner disaster. Jessica sat up straight on the far end of the sofa, sitting directly opposite to her husband, neither looking happy with the other.

Dawn and Buffy were sat together, also on the floor like Willow and Tara, but Buffy, reluctantly, was agreeing to a thumb war with her sister.

"Dawn, you know this isn't going to work," Buffy told her as she gave into Dawn's pleas.

"Why not?" Dawn asked as she and Buffy linked hands, "It's simple- you twiddle your thumbs"

"Hello? Slayer strength," Buffy whispered.

"It's just your thumb," Dawn countered and Buffy sighed before explaining.

"Yeah, a _slayer_ thumb which means it kicks ass as much as the rest of me,"

Nevertheless Dawn went ahead and declared the thumb war.

Buffy won in three seconds.

"I like this," Anya suddenly said to everyone, as she looked around from where she was sat on Xander's knee, her arm around his neck, "This is exactly how Christmas-"

The Rosenbergs gave Anya a pointed stare and she rolled her eyes as, for once, she took the hint as she actually realized what they were getting at.

"Fine. How the _Holiday Season_ is supposed to be." She smiled, "Doesn't toasting come into it now?" She looked at Xander for confirmation and he nodded with a warm smile.

"Yes, yes it does," He told her, pulling his fiancée closer to him and she smiled happily at the close contact.

"Yes a toast," Anthony agreed with a slight slur to his voice. As he picked up his glass he looked around at all the couples, before his eyes finally settled on his wife, giving her a glare as he held up his glass of wine and said, "To all you suckers" He looked around at who he was talking about, including Tara and Willow in the mix, "To all you _suckers_ who still believe in Love"

Oddly enough, no couple there chose to be offended by this comment but rather it seemed to prompt them to smile at one another and indulge more in the random kissage.

* * *

Later on after everybody had left, Joyce found Buffy sat outside on the back porch, seemingly lost in her own deep thoughts.

"Buffy?" She called and when Buffy didn't reply, Joyce took a seat next to her on the porch step, "Buffy?"

"Mm?" Buffy asked, finally turning to look at her Mom.

"Is something wrong?" Joyce asked, her expression filled with concern and Buffy turned away again to look directly ahead at their garden. "Buffy?"

"I've been sleeping with Spike," Buffy eventually said, still not taking her eyes off the garden.

"What?" Joyce asked in disbelief, almost positive that she had misheard her daughter.

"Spike," Buffy repeated the vampire's name, "I've been sleeping with him"

"Oh God...Buffy..._why_?"

Buffy shrugged.

"To feel...to feel _something._ I've felt..I feel so numb in this world that when I'm with Spike is the only time I feel alive again"

"Oh Buffy..." Joyce said sadly and sympathetically as she pulled her daughter into a hug.

"Why do I let him?" Buffy asked as she began to cry, "Why do I let him touch me like that? Why?"

"Oh honey..." Joyce stroked her daughter's hair soothingly as Buffy cries became more distraught.

"I don't want to want him," Buffy cried, "I don't want to"

"Buffy. Has he ever hurt- has he _done_ anything to...?"

"No," Buffy shook her head, "Not really. Not by Spike standards, No," Buffy cried even more.

"Buffy...I am not, not in away condoning this, this uh type of relationship with Spike but perhaps...maybe you should consider that Spike might be what you need right now"

"What?" Buffy asking, sitting up straight out of her Mother's arms as she looked at Joyce in confusion.

"I don't think-" Joyce faltered over her words. She took a deep sigh as she looked down at her hands, summoning up the courage to say what she was about to, "I don't think _sleeping_ with Spike is the right thing to do...but with Spike having been through a similar experience to you- when you-" No, she couldn't say it. She couldn't say 'dug your way out of your grave' or 'woke up buried alive' she couldn't say any of it. It was still too much to face, the worst being 'when your friends tore you out of the one safe place you could be happy', "Well, when you...you know. Maybe because of this...this uh _shared experience_ perhaps Spike is what you need right now. As a friend. Maybe you need Spike as a friend. I can't tell you what decision to make over whether you want more than friendship with him, though I wish I _could_ tell you, but I think you do need Spike as a friend at least."

Buffy cried even more and Joyce once again took her into her arms. But later on, when she lay wide awake in bed, Buffy gave serious thought to what her Mother had said to her.


	16. Gone

zigpal- Thanks for claps, update et al. hehe. And I thought it was Anya's time to shine- she has the potential to be very take chargey and bossy the cow. And well, you'll just have to see how Joyce keeps the Spuffy secret from Rupert.

rabidreject- flatterer. Haha. Thanks so much for all you said. And yes we will be seeing more of the trio, in this chapter in fact. And yes e are moving away from Dark Willow or at least we're moving away from what we saw on the series...and I will reveal no more than that, but I will say there is definitely a big bad this season. Glad you really liked the Lily and Christmas chapters. And you made me blush when you said about my original chapters being 'fantastic'. Made me all ego-boosty worthy and happy. hehe. And well, you're in luck,because after this chapter we have another three original episodes. Which, incidentally feature more of Tara...

* * *

"I think I'm supposed to be making breakfast for Dawn and Buffy right about now..." Joyce murmured as she and Giles eventually broke the early morning kiss in the kitchen. 

"It's cereal, milk and a bowl," Giles replied, staying close enough to Joyce so that if either went a millimeter forward their lips would lock once again, "I think they can manage that"

"You're...probably right..."Joyce agreed, giving in as she began kissing him again, the two of them enjoying a moment alone together, which if they thought on it, they hadn't had for a long time. "Stop hugging the bump," Joyce murmured through the kiss a moment later.

"What?" Rupert murmured back, before continuing the kiss. Joyce reached her hands down slowly until they were placed on top of Rupert's, where he was, in fact, hugging the steadily growing bump that Lily was gradually revealing herself to be. Rupert smiled through the kiss as he realized he'd been found out. "Oh...I like the bump..." He said simply in defense and Joyce laughed.

"I'm feeling that," She grinned, before taking his hands in hers and placing them around her waist, "But this is comfier" She told him, before kissing him again.

"I'll just get my erm...box of cereal and go..." Buffy told them as she entered the kitchen, causing the two to slowly pull apart.

"Good morning," Joyce smiled at her, taking in Buffy's awake attitude, "Sleep well?"

"Well, my head hit the pillow and then it was wake-up time," Buffy replied, "So I'm going to assume it was restful undisturbed sleepage."

"Oh good," Her Mom acknowledged, before looking around, "Erm...where's Dawn?"

"Still getting ready I think," Buffy replied as she poured out some cereal into a bowl, "Last time I checked she was only on skirt and socks"

"What?" Joyce asked in exasperation, "She's going to be late for school." She headed out of the kitchen to shout for Dawn to hurry up.

The moment she left the kitchen a figure covered in a smoking black blanket entered the room through the back door. The blanket was thrown off to reveal Spike, who immediately smoothed down his hair, tossed the blanket over his arm and attempted to act casual.

"Mornin'" He greeted the two.

"What- what are you doing?" Buffy asked in a panicked voice.

"And here of all places?" Giles asked, exasperated. True, Spike had saved Joyce's life on occasion and for that Giles was eternally grateful, but that didn't mean he actually liked having the vampire around at all hours of the day

"Just taking a stroll," Spike told them, "Found myself in your neck o the woods"

"'Strolling' in daylight is decidedly unhealthy for vampires, yes?" Giles frowned.

"Yeah, well...fact is my lighter's missing," Spike confessed, "Thought I mighta dropped it last time I was here"

"Last time you were here?" Buffy asked and Spike nodded, "Erm maybe. I don't know. I could uh look," She told him, suddenly feeling very conscious of the lighter she had found and slipped in her jeans pocket.

As Giles left the room, for whatever reason, Buffy strongly suspecting the reason at the top of the list being 'getting away from Spike', Buffy was glad she was left alone with Spike so they could well...talk. After what her Mom had told her, suggesting that maybe she did need Spike right now, at least as a friend if nothing else, Buffy felt she really did need to talk to him.

"Pretty flimsy excuse for coming by to see me," She told him.

"Don't flatter yourself, Luv," Spike replied, "Bloody fond of that lighter," She pulled the lighter of her jeans pocket and held it out in front of her, "_That_ lighter in fact"

"Spike, we need to talk," She told him, slipping the lighter back in her pocket before he made a grab for it.

"Talkin's overrated luv," He told her, his voice low as he stepped toward her, "But then you proved that last week didn't you?" He grinned, "New Years has a bit more meaning to it now I think. For me anyway"

"Spike, I'm serious," Buffy told him and he sighed in frustration.

"Everything's gotta be serious for you, hasn't it Slayer? Everything's always about talking things through, considering our actions. Can't you just..." He pressed himself against her so she was backed against the sink, "live in the moment?"

"Spike, I need you," Buffy told him and he grinned a grin that would have made the Cheshire Cat envious, until Buffy said "But not like this" and his grin fell.

"What?" He asked, taking a small step away from her.

"I think..." Buffy sighed, "Spike, you're the only one...the only one who can..at least a little bit...understand what I'm going through and I need you for that. I need you to be my...I can't believe I'm saying this...I need a friend" Her eyes teared up ever so slightly, hardly noticeable, but Spike noticed as she carried on talking, "A friend that isn't Xander or Willow...or any of the others"

Spike was conflicted. He was touched, flattered that Buffy needed him, admitted to needing him in such a way, but he was also frustrated and annoyed because he wanted Buffy as more than just a friend. The remnants of the man he once was that remained inside him wanted to just be there for Buffy, agree to friendship and nothing more, while the demon urged him to just take, to have Buffy as more than a mere confidante simply because that's the way he wanted it.

"Okay..." He reasoned but took an intimate step towards her nonetheless, "But you know 'more' is always here," He murmured and Buffy seemed to relent slightly. "If you change your mind"

"No...Spike..." She protested, "That's when it gets...I don't want things being complicated,"

"They already are luv," He replied, toying with her hair and Buffy grabbed his hand, pushing it away. As she did so however she found herself looking up at Spike and edging forward slightly herself in a way that would clearly lead to lip-locking.

"Spike...no..." She repeated, but her body didn't seem to be agreeing with her thoughts as she continued leaning towards him, him mirroring the action as they leaned in to kiss.

"Just tell me to stop then..." He told her, before his lips were on hers.

* * *

"Dawn, where's your bag?" Joyce asked when her daughter finally came down the stairs. 

"In my room," She shrugged.

"Well go get it!" Her Mother urged, "Dawn we _do not_ have time for this, this morning. Now hurry upstairs and get your bag- your breakfast's in the kitchen"

Dawn sighed an exaggerated teenage sigh before stomping back up as she did so.

"Sometimes I don't know what to do with her," Joyce told Giles as the two headed back towards the kitchen, Joyce in front. She had taken one step into the kitchen when she caught a glimpse of Buffy and Spike just about to kiss. She stopped walking and in a split moment she went over a hundred options of what she should do, but the one that stood out the most was that this was something, no matter what Buffy was deciding to do right now re Spike, that Rupert should definitely shouldn't see. The same Rupert that was just about to walk past her and into the kitchen.

Joyce spun round to face Rupert, before quickly wrapping her arms around him and kissing him forcefully. He was momentarily thrown by the random kiss but he quickly got over that and into the kiss as he wrapped his arms around Joyce in turn. When the kiss eventually ended Joyce leaned back a little to see that Buffy was now alone in the kitchen.

"Erm...not that I'm complaining, but ah, what was that for?"

"Let's just...place the blame on hormones," Joyce told him just as Dawn stomped the stairs, storming past them and into the kitchen.

Teenagers were such lovely things.

* * *

"You ordered with a new dealer?" Joyce asked, as she was passed the invoice by the new girl. Her name was Hannah, and she was a student at UC Sunnydale (where Joyce was relieved to find out Buffy had started at again, even if it was only for the one class) majoring in Art History with a minor in American Lit. To help her with her History of Art course she was working part time at the gallery and she had been rather a god send, very quickly adapting to the work place and soon able to contribute fantastically. And so, Joyce had recently entrusted her to finding some pieces to compliment Kyle Landau's collection. Kyle Landau was, to put it lightly, a temperamental artist, but his work was good. It was inspired by Celtic and Pagan designs and so to compliment the display Joyce had decided that maybe some original Pagan pieces, no specific time period required as she knew from experience that while Pagan practices disappeared from public eye before the middle ages that definitely did not mean they stopped or ceased creating the art and pieces that went with the religion, would compliment the display. 

"Yeah," Hannah nodded, "They had a promotional site. You know where they photo what they have but you have to call to do the deal. They cut some really good prices too,"

"Uh huh..." Joyce nodded, looking down at the name of the business on the invoice, "And uh who's name did you put the order in?" She asked as she attempted to find the information on the paper.

"Uh, mine," Hannah told her, "I think it was like a privately owned store, so I thought it would be better to go for the personal approach"

"Mm-hmm..." Joyce nodded again, "And who did you talk to on the phone?" She asked though she already knew it was going to be one of two answers.

"Well, it was two people actually. One made the order, the other tried selling us more- that's how I got the deals" Hannah was obviously quite proud of herself so she was understandably confused when her boss started laughing. Hannah knew Joyce was pregnant and wondered whether this may be one of the symptoms. "What...what is it?"

"Hannah, I'm sorry," Joyce managed to stifle her giggles, "I'm sorry, but you've made an order with my husband"

"What?" Hannah frowned, looking completely perplexed.

"The Magic Box," Joyce pointed out the name of the business printed on the invoice, "It's Rupert's business. And Anya's- that was the girl who tried to sell you more. They probably didn't realize because you ordered in your name" She handed the invoice back to the girl, "It doesn't matter. I'll just cancel the order on my break today,"

"Cancel?" Hannah was now even more confused.

"Trust me," Joyce told her, tapping her finger on where 'Magic Box' was printed, "That is not a place you want to order pieces from"

Not if you liked everything normal and safe- hearts beating in the right places and all of that.

* * *

Giles felt like slamming his head into wall- unconsciousness would bring welcome relief from the sound of Xander and Anya loudly making seating plans for the wedding non stop. So when the sound of the doorbell as someone opened the door, reached his ears he jumped up in glee to see to the potential customer. 

Therefore, he was even more pleased when he saw it wasn't a customer, but Joyce.

"Joyce, not that I'm not glad to see you," He told her after kissing her lightly in greeting, "But what are you doing here?"

Joyce frowned a frown that was becoming very familiar to Giles these past few weeks- it was a telltale sign that she had forgotten something, in this case she had forgotten why she was there in the first place. He had at first been worried about these memory lapses, but she had assured him, as had the doctor, that it was just a symptom of pregnancy that develops as she was reaching the end of her first trimester. It was still very inconvenient though.

"Erm...oh that's it," She smiled as she suddenly remembered, "I need to cancel an order"

"An order?" Giles frowned.

"Yes, uh, one of the girls at work- she made an order with you for the gallery. But in her name. Hannah Blears"

"Hannah Blears," Giles repeated, heading over to where the order history was kept.

"Yes," Joyce nodded, "She was meant to order some Pagan and Celtic pieces for a show...but I think the ones from here may be a tad realistic"

"Quite right," Giles agreed as he began thumbing through the orders and as Joyce waited she leaned over to look at the seating board Anya and Xander were working on.

"Is this for the wedding?" She asked and Anya nodded.

"We're trying to get everyone in an appropriate place. But Tara and Buffy are still floating around"

"Which we're told isn't the best option at a wedding," Xander added.

"So where am I?" Joyce asked in curiosity as she looked for the thumb tack with her name on it. Xander pointed it out for her.

"You and Giles are just there, to my right. After Will"

"But..." Joyce frowned, "Isn't that where your parents are supposed to sit?"

Xander shrugged slightly, looking a little shy and embarrassed.

"Well, yeah," He admitted, "But well...you and Giles...you're well...you're better parents than my _actual_ parents and so...I think those seats...belong to you two"

"Xander, that's..." Giles was obviously touched as he couldn't think of a word that would describe what Xander had just said "Thank you Xander"

Xander just shrugged the shy shrug again.

"That's so..." Joyce was also struggling to voice her thoughts on the matter, but she was a bit more emotional than Giles, "Xander, y-you know I've always...I always see you as a son to me, but to have you, what you said and where you've...it's just..." The words became indecipherable for Xander as they reached a high note and the words melded together as Joyce started crying.

"This is good tears right?" He asked with a worried smile, "You're not like devastated about this or anything?"

Joyce shook her head, waving his concern aside.

"Of course not," She said through the tears, "Of course I'm happy., I-" She went to say more, but then the crying became so much that it hindered her ability to talk.

"Xander," Giles said in an annoyed tone of voice as he walked over to Joyce in attempt to allay her sobs.

"What?" Xander mouthed and as Rupert held Joyce soothingly, he gave Xander a look that said 'look- you've set her off again' and Xander shrugged another shrug- but this one was distinctly more apologetic.

A moment later and Joyce had stopped her crying, though she was still sniffling slightly.

"I'm sorry," She apologized.

"It's okay," Anya told her, "I mean it as really weird and it made me unsure of what to do next but it's okay"

"I'm sorry," Joyce repeated, "It's just- what you said Xander- it means so much to me"

She grabbed a tissue as she started sniffling again.

"Did I miss something?" Buffy asked, but as the gang turned around to look at her, they found she wasn't there to look at.

"Buffy?" Joyce asked.

"Present," Buffy's voice was decidedly chipper but still without a body.

"Where are you?"

"At table four apparently," Buffy's voice pointed out and Xander turned to look at the board to see if Anya had indeed stuck Buffy with his parents while he had been panicking over Joyce's sudden crying. He pulled the Buffy Tack out.

"That remains to be seen," He told her

"As do you," Anya added, looking around.

"Yes, Buffy, where are you?" Giles asked, also looking around.

"Right here," Buffy replied, "Don't bother looking though. I've got a case of the invisibles"

"You're invisible?" Joyce choked out and Rupert took her hand in both of his, holding it calmingly, hoping to stop her from crying again, before she could even start. Though she still looked worried about Buffy, the trick worked.

"Buffy, how on Earth did this happen?" Giles asked.

"I don't know what happened," Buffy replied, "I left Mane Street after cutting my hair-"

"You cut your hair?" Anya asked eagerly.

"Why?" Joyce asked, feeling decidedly awkward talking to an invisible Buffy.

"Felt like a change," Buffy shrugged, although she knew none of them could see her.

"What's it like?" Anya inquired.

"Well up to about here," Buffy told them and then realized they couldn't see her hand, "Well, if you could see my hand it's at my shoulders"

"Oh that sounds adorable," Anya told her, "I was thinking about getting mine cut. Before the wedding. Maybe layering it."

"Can we get back to the freaking out about no-show Buffy?" Xander asked, looking at Anya incredulously for starting a conversation with Buffy about hair at a time like this.

"Yes, I believe we do have more pressing matters to attend to than the latest cuts," Giles agreed, "This is serious"

"I know," Buffy sighed and they heard footsteps as she moved away from the slightly, "But it kinda fits the day I've had. Might as well have been part of the wallpaper at college. Only saw Will and Tara once and everyone else...didn't even notice I was there"

Buffy picked two orbs out of a basket, but since she was invisible, it made it look like they were floating. The design on them made them look like eyeballs and Buffy held them up in place of her own eyes. She made them go cross-eyed, letting out a giggle as she did so.

"Hee, see what I did there?"

"Buffy, please..." Joyce asked her, sounding world-weary and Giles looked in Buffy's direction pleadingly also.

"Yes, Buffy, please," He didn't want Joyce setting off again with the tears. He believed Dawn had summed it up nicely the other morning when she had said Joyce was an emotional time bomb.

"Sorry," She apologized half-heartedly as the eyeballs went back in the basket.

"Now, did you notice anything suspicious?" Giles asked Buffy, "I mean shortly prior to you ah..."

"Getting cleared up," Xander finished.

"Nope, didn't see nothin'," Buffy told them, picking up a skull off the shelf as she did so.

"Why would anyone wanna make her invisible anyway?" Anya asked, "I mean invisible Slayer has gotta be way more effective than the standard variety"

"I don't really care about why Anya," Joyce told her, "I just care that my daughter becomes visible again"

"And to do that we need to find out how it happened in the first place," Giles concluded.

"Yeah, so we can we make her sight unseen sight seen again, right?" Xander added and Buffy answered by moving the mouth of the skull she was holding and doing a Sr Wence's impression.

"S'awright"

"Buffy..." Giles sighed in exasperation and like the eyeballs before, the skull was put back in it's original place with a sigh.

"I'm sorry," Buffy apologized, "It's just this invisible deal is...kinda fun"

"Research would be more effective if we knew where to start exactly," Giles thought aloud, "It would be helpful to have a little more to go on"

"Or anything to go on," Anya corrected him, "All we have is Buffy and with her all invisible, I'm not even sure we have that"

"I could go check out the spot Buffy disappeared- snoop for clues," Xander suggested and Giles nodded his approval.

"Good idea"

"Yeah, right...um..." Invisible Buff sounded very distracted, "You know what? I'm just gonna...go for a walk"

"A walk?" Joyce asked incredulously, "Buffy, you're invisible"

"I know... I'm just gonna clear my head." Buffy told her and from the sound of their footsteps they could tell she was already walking towards the door, "You guys keep working on the whats and the hows...hmm...'clear my head'"

"Well, it seems pretty obvious that it's some kind of spell that's done this to her," Anya said as she returned her attention to the seating chart for the wedding.

"A spell to turn a Slayer invisible?" Giles asked, sounding skeptical, "Doesn't sound very likely"

"Maybe it was a mistake," Anya suggested.

"A magic mistake?" Xander asked, "Who'd be messing with that kinda pow-"

As if on cue Willow walked into the store with Tara, ready for her magic training session with Giles.

Xander looked pointedly at Giles and the others as if to say 'high possibility. Let's ask her'

"No," Giles shook his head, "I refuse to believe she would relapse like this. She's been doing exceptionally well"

"Exceptionally well?" Willow asked with a smile, "Academic compliments? Better be talking about me there"

This comment was met by awkward silence.

"You _were_ talking about me..."

"Yeah, but not in the way that you think...really," Xander told her.

"No," Anya shook her head, "We just wondering how you accidentally turned Buffy invisible"

"What?" Willow was confused more than anything else.

"We were thinking no such thing," Giles argued, before turning to Willow, "Buffy _has_ however come across a slight problem. She's ah...become well, invisible actually"

"Invisible?" Tara asked, "How?"

"Well that's precisely what we were wondering," Giles told her.

"What? And you immediately think it has something to do with me?" Willow asked them all, sounding very hurt.

"No, of course not-" Joyce began but Willow cut her off.

"No, that's fine. I mean, it obviously doesn't matter how hard I'm trying to work past all this, you still all look to me to blame whenever something magically nasty happens around here."

"No one's blaming-" Xander told her, but he too as cut off by Willow.

"So I guess it wouldn't matter if I jumped off the bandwagon completely," She continued despite Giles' attempted interruptions of 'none of us are saying anything like that Willow, if you'd just-' "since you're already convinced I'm making pit stops"

She turned on her heel and stormed out of the store.

"Will!" Tara called, running after her, "Willow"

"Well, that went well," Anya commented.

"Maybe I should go talk to her," Xander suggested, but Joyce shook her head.

"Not yet, Tara's seeing to her now...you should probably wait till later to apologize in case..."

"In case she wants to bite my head off?" Xander filled in a suggestion and Joyce shrugged in agreement.

"Well,I'd better be going too," She told them all, standing up. She swayed a bit as a wave of dizziness reached her but after a split moment she got her bearings back. Nevertheless Rupert still put his arm around her to steady her. "I'm fine," She told him, "Just got up too fast. I will see you later," She smiled, before giving him a brief kiss, "And remember to cancel that order"

"It's canceled," He told her, holding up the pen he had canceled it with as though this were proof alone that it was done.

"Good," Another kiss and Joyce left the store.

"See, that's how it works Xander," Anya said, pointing at the seating chart, "Seating plans and _then_ marital smoochies"

Xander looked very much like he desperately wanted to skip the seating plan part as he forced himself to listen to what Anya was saying.

* * *

It had been very hard to focus back on the work at the gallery, with the thought of her daughter being temporarily invisible constantly playing on Joyce's mind, but somehow she managed it. And now she was driving home, where Dawn would no doubt be by now, unless she had opted to head to the Magic Box where the others were. 

It was one of these 'others' that caught Joyce's eye and caused to her pull up at the sidewalk.

"Willow?" The red head was alone, no Tara or Xander with her, and she was looking down at a piece of paper, so intently in fact that she initially didn't hear Joyce calling her name, "Willow?

"Hmm?" Willow frowned, looking up in the direction she had heard her name and saw Joyce leaning out of her car, "Hi, Joyce" She half-smiled, walking over.

"Are you okay?" Joyce asked, "I mean from before?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Willow told her, but she wasn't very convincing.

"We would never assume that it was you. We know you're trying very hard to overcome-"

"My addiction?" Willow asked lightly, but the statement was loaded.

"Xander was just thinking aloud," Joyce tried to excuse him and Willow nodded in acceptance.

"I know, he came and did the apology thing before"

"Ah. So where's Tara?"

"I told her to go home," Willow told her, "I wanted to do some heavy duty research and I know that can be pretty dull. She'd feel better doing heavy duty research at the magic shop if she has to do anything"

"Is that what you have there?" Joyce asked, nodding at the piece of paper in Willow's hands, "Research?"

"Yeah, sorta," Will admitted, "It's the address of the people I think are behind all this craziness lately, including Buffy's recent state change"

"Need a ride there?" Joyce offered, and since it was dark and walking around at night in Sunnydale wasn't the safest thing to do, Will accepted.

* * *

"Willow, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with you going in there," Joyce said to Willow as they reached the written address. However, Will was already getting out of the car, "Willow!" Joyce reprimanded, unbuckling her own seat belt and getting out of the vehicle. 

"Joyce, you stay there," Willow told her.

"No, not if you're not staying," Joyce argued, "I'm not letting you go in there alone"

"Joyce, you're pregnant- so it's doubly not safe for you" Willow told her before turning on her heel to head towards the cellar door of the house as a way in.

"Why does everyone always play the pregnancy card?" Joyce asked herself in exasperation, before following Willow. No matter what, she wasn't going to let the girl go in there alone. "Maybe we should call the others-"

"No," Willow said firmly, "I can do this"

So when Willow went into the house, Joyce really had no choice but to follow. Oh how her life had seemed so much simpler when she and Buffy had first arrived in Sunnydale. Buffy burning down the Hemery High Gym seemed simpler than this.

Inside the basement was a geek's haven. Full of novelty posters, action figures, stuff that would have looked more at home on an episode of _Doctor Who_ or _Star Trek_.

"Hey, look at this," Willow told her as she headed towards a board upon which a list including items and blueprints of Freeze Rays and Invisibility Rays were placed. Willow took the details in a moment, before saying, "Cool" in minor approval. Her attention was dragged elsewhere however when she heard the sounds of a struggle and she turned around to see Joyce's arm being grabbed by someone invisible and immediately after, Willow's own arm was taken hold of by an equally invisible presence.

"Get off me!" Willow protested, trying to tug away her arm, but another one grabbed her as well.

"Let go!" Joyce exclaimed, jabbing her elbow back at the invisible presence and the person let go.

"Ow!" He whined childishly, "She hit me,"

Willow mirrored Joyce's actions and elbowed her own captor before bailing with Joyce towards the door which shut in their faces. They tugged at the handle but clearly someone else was holding it shut.

"Congratulations ladies," The voice holding the door shut told them as two other invisible presences grabbed each of them from behind, tying their hands together, before they could retaliate again. "You just become our first hostages"

"Nuh-uh," Willow protested, tugging at the ropes around her hands, but they were too tight.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Joyce asked as she and Willow were tugged back down the stairs they had just run up, by the same invisible people who had tied their hands.

"Walking you back down the stairs," A voice answered in a 'no duh' tone. But it was a voice both Willow and Joyce recognized.

"I know that voice," Joyce said and Willow nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I've heard it before,"

"No you haven't," The voice said, now sounding much deeper, "You've never met me...ever..."

"Why does this always happen when I'm with you?" Joyce asked Willow in frustration.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Willow challenged.

"Last time I helped you with something we got kidnapped," Joyce told her, tugging in frustration at the ropes binding her wrists and at the person pushing her to the center of the room with Willow.

"You're _blaming_ me for this?" Willow asked incredulously, making a mental note to later on blame the accusation on Joyce's haywire pregnancy hormones. It's all anyone seemed to be doing these days. And for that exact same reason, no one actually told Joyce this, "I told you to stay outside. I said 'you're pregnant Joyce, it's doubly not safe for you', but did you listen? Noooo"

"What? And leave you to get kidnapped alone?" Joyce countered.

"Alright that's it," The voice who had announced them hostages said, "That's enough. Guys- gag 'em"

One of the guys moved away from Joyce and Willow and a minute later an ominous looking roll of duct tape was floating towards them..

* * *

"Dawn!" Buffy called up the stairs after just listening to Giles' message on the answer phone of how being invisible was going to cause her to literally fade from existence, "I'm going to the Magic Box! If Giles or Xander call-" 

The phone started ringing and Buffy rushed to answer it.

"Giles?"

"Don't talk just listen," The voice over the phone told her, "You don't have a lot of time Slayer"

"Who is this?" Buffy asked with a frown that no one would be able to see, "You sound familiar"

Suddenly the voice changed to a deeper tone.

"I'm nobody. No one you know. We've got your Mother and your friend Willow...and if you don't want anything nasty to happen to them. You'd better meet us. Alone"

Alone meant not telling Giles they had got Joyce. Buffy knew that if she told him that but also told him not to come, then he wouldn't listen and would turn up anyway. So she could either tell Giles and risk it or just listen to what the guy on the phone was telling her and do what he said. This was her Mom and Willow- she decided not to take any chances.

"Where do we meet?" She finally asked.

* * *

As Buffy stepped into the arcade, unseen by everyone, she immediately scanned the entire room looking for her Mom and Willow. They were stood, seemingly alone at the back of the room and Buffy immediately rushed over.

"Mom, Will!"

"Buffy?" Joyce frowned, looking around, "Where are you?"

"Sorta in front of you...ish. Where are the bad guys?"

"All around you Slayer, so don't try anything" The voice of the man who had shown himself to be in charge. Willow had taken to calling him Man One. Not imaginative, but it was effective. It stopped her being too confused by the entire thing.

"He's bluffing Buffy," Willow told her, "There's only three of them. I think"

"More than enough to cause some serious carnage, right guys?" Man One said but neither Man Two or Three answered, "Guys? Guys!"

The sound of two guys arguing over a video game caught everybody's attention and Man One sighed in exasperation.

"Guys! The Slayer's here"

"Sorry, didn't see her," Man Three apologized as he and Two stopped playing the game and presumably headed over to where Willow and Joyce were stood.

"Why don't we continue this in a less crowded area?" Man One suggested, "Like over there"

"Where?" Everyone asked in sync and Man One sighed as he realized no one could see where he was pointing.

"Follow me," He sighed, grabbing hold of one of Willow's arms and one of Joyce's, dragging them over to the destination as way to guide the others. The two tugged at his grip, so he tightened his hold, but Joyce elbowed him in the abdomen, causing him to grunt in pain and she turned out of his grip, kicking out forcefully and thankfully connecting with an invisible something.

"Ow!" Man One exclaimed, though he still didn't let go of Willow, "I _told_ you not to do that!" He grabbed Joyce's arm again, "Who taught you to kick like that?"

"That would be me," Giles informed him as he walked up to the group calmly, standing next to where Buffy was presumably stood.

"Slayer," Man One said menacingly, "I told you to come alone"

"Changed my mind," Buffy told him lightly, "Now I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume you're the ones that did this to me"

"It was an accident," Man Two told her and Buffy frowned.

"Who's that?" It was the same familiar voice she had heard on the phone, and like on the phone the voice once again dropped an octave.

"Nobody you know"

"They're the ones in your mystery van," Willow told her

"Oh you," Buffy said, sounding very unimpressed, "So what annoying thing are you going to do to me now?"

"Save your life," Man One told her, "Make you visible"

"Right I'm supposed to believe that"

"He's telling the truth," Man Three told her, "We don't wanna hurt anybody"

"They told us everything Buffy," Willow informed her, "Something's happening to you. You're-"

"Fading away," Buffy finished, "I know. Giles told me"

"I can fix that" Man One said.

"Please Buffy," Joyce pleaded, "It's your only chance"

Buffy sighed.

"And I'm guessing after that you three go on your merry invisible way"

"That's the idea," Man One agreed, "Pick up that air hockey mallet on the table. It'll give me a target to aim at" Buffy picked it up, holding it in front of invisible her, "Now hold still and your troubles'll soon be gone"

"You're on the wrong setting," Willow suddenly said as she peered at the gun.

"What?" Man One asked.

"The gun. It's not set for reversing the particle ionization. It'll accelerate her molecular dissolution! I saw the plans!"

"Mind your own business," Man One warned her.

"What's she talking about?" Man Two asked worriedly.

"That's what I'd like to know," Buffy agreed.

"Buffy he's trying to kill-" Willow was cut off as Invisible Man One used the butt of the gun to knock Willow down. A moment later and Man One also went down after her as Joyce pushed against the invisible force causing him to lose his balance. The gun went sliding across the floor away from them.

"Argh, you stupid-"

"I'd be quite careful how you finish that sentence," Giles warned Man One as he headed over to where Joyce and Willow were. Buffy, still invisible, also joined them, trying to pinpoint where on the floor Man One was.

"You haven't won yet Slayer," He told her and using his voice as direction, Buffy reached out and grabbed him off the floor by the collar and threw him into a wall.

"No, that parts comes after I beat the snot out of you"

An invisible fight broke out that broke so many of the arcade machines and made such a racket that the rest of the arcade customers ran out of the building, scared witless.

"Are you okay?" Rupert asked Joyce, deep concern in his eyes, as Willow went to get the Invisibility Ray.

"Yes," Joyce told him with a smile, just glad everything was (almost) over, "I'm fine"

"Now, let's see who our invisi-guys are," Willow told them as she aimed the gun which was now set at the correct settings. She shot the gun in one direction and Buffy was revealed to be holding up Jonathon by the collar. She looked at herself before looking at him in shock.

"Jonathon?"

Willow shot the gun again and Warren, the guy who had been behind April the robot and later Buffybot, was found to be in the ball pit.

"Warren?" Buffy was even more shocked.

Willow shot the gun a third time and they all prepared themselves for another familiar face. But the boy on the pinball machine was as unfamiliar as they get.

"Who are you?" Buffy asked.

"Andrew," He answered as he climbed off the pinball machine, "I summoned the flying monkeys that attacked the school"

Everyone just looked at him blankly. What flying monkeys?

"During the play. You know-"

Still no recognition and Andrew sighed.

"Tucker's brother," He told them.

Finally, there was recognition amongst the group.

"So you three have what?" Buffy asked, "Banded together to be pains in my ass?"

"We're your arch nemesisis..ees" Warren told her.

"Nemeses," Rupert and Joyce corrected in synchronization and the group took a moment to look at the couple as if to say 'what? How do you know that?'

"You may have beaten us this time Slayer," Warren continued, "But next time..."

"Maybe not!" Jonathon finished dramatically before a huge cloud of smoke blotted the trio from view.

A moment later the smoke cleared and the group could see the trio struggling to open the door.

"What do you mean it's locked?" Warren asked, "You were supposed to check it!"

"I forgot!" Jonathon exclaimed.

"I give you my arch nemeses" Buffy sighed.

"What's going on here?"

The four of them turned to see a security guard looking at them all with great suspicion as he surveyed the wreck that the room now was after the fight.


	17. Into The Dark Age Part One

zigpal- Yay! My one review! Thank you! And claps as well. hehe. Glad you liked the last chapter and the Trio de Dorks aren't in for a couple of chapters here but you will be seeing them soon again. And re Spike, well, it is Spike so he isn't gonna give in just like that, but I will say that later on things will change.

And as for the rest of you guys- helloo? Where are you? I like my reviewage. Like to know what y'all think. It inspires me to write more. hint hint.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this one took so long, but well, it had a lot of Ripper and I like to do him justice, even though I have actually found that it is near impossible. But well, I did my best. Also, Joyce not in much of this one, but well it's a three parter so...well, you'll see.

* * *

"Giles giggles?" Buffy frowned in distaste at Willow as she heard her Mom and Giles get out of the car in the driveway after just returning from the Doctors. 

"No," Willow shook her head, "Your Mom's laugh could be described as a giggle, Giles in his manliness can be described as a 'light chuckle'."

Buffy spared a moment to frown at Willow's use of the word 'manliness' in reference to Giles, before saying:

"Either way, the giggle fest, it's-" She was cut off by the people in question walking in through the front door and it became clear why both were indulging in the giggle fest (or light chuckle as it were). Joyce was looking at a small photo she was holding in her hands and Giles, in an attempt to look at it, had reached his hands through under Joyce's arms to reach the photo and was looking over her shoulder.

Buffy was the first to admit that Giles had lost his stuffiness over the years, especially when she compared him to how he had been when she had first arrived in Sunnydale. But she had never seen him like this, never, not even in all the years he'd been living with her, her Mom and Dawn. This was a totally free, unrestricted, non-expectation Giles.

"Buffy, Willow, hi," Joyce smiled, still laughing at Giles, "Where's Dawn?"

"Janice's," Buffy told her, "So how'd the doctor's go?"

"Well, you'll be relieved to know that Lily is a girl," Joyce told her, holding up the latest ultrasound photo.

"Unbelievable," Buffy commented with light sarcasm.

"Can I see the picture?" Willow asked and Joyce nodded, handing her the photo and after having a look, Will passed the photo on to Buffy.

As Buffy peered at the black and white picture of what would one day grow up to be the Lily they met before Christmas, Willow looked over at Joyce and Giles, who were at the moment laughing and smiling with one another, kissing also obviously. Willow had noticed that the couple always got like that when anything Lily related happened. And as she looked at Giles, Willow found it hard to believe this was the same man who summoned demons with the likes of Ethan Rayne and had the same fierce addiction she herself had had to Rack's magic.

* * *

"You what?" Giles asked, flabbergasted. 

"I don't think you actually know how hard this is for me," Willow repeated in the training room at the Magic Box. She had been calling the guardian elements to complete the protective circle for spell casting and in her eagerness to get it done she had called the energy from within herself rather than using the magickal energy the earth offered her. So, Giles had called her up on it, immediately spotting what she had done, telling her that if she continued calling on her own energy, she would be forever susceptible to falling prey to Rack's Majiks.

"You don't think- what have...Willow, I know more than you think about all this. That's why I'm trai- that's why I'm helping you," Giles told her.

"You say you got addicted to the Majiks and Rack...just like I did, but if it was just like I did I think you would understand a little more about what I'm going through right now"

As the argument between Giles and Willow threatened to escalate, Tara retreated to the far wall, staying physically and metaphorically out of the 'debate'.

"And, I_ know_ you did all the Eyghon badness," Willow continued, "But I think that was probably more Ethan's doing than yours. I mean you say how bad it was, but I just don't see how someone who can be all Zippy _Rainbow_ with Joyce now, could be as badly addicted as I am- or worse, if what you're telling me is all true"

"Willow," Giles said patiently, "I was a completely different person then. Someone in all frankness that you or any of the others would not ever want to know"

_

* * *

_

_"She's still in that bloody room," Ripper nodded in the direction of the closet where Deidre had locked herself away for the past half hour. "Fuck, Ethan you shoulda told me she'd hadn't done LSD before"_

_"Don't need it right now do ya?" Ethan challenged, though he knew it was a risky thing to do. Ripper just gave him an even glare that although it clearly said 'Ethan shut it if you know what's good for you' it also implied that later on Ripper would need the closet- if the bed in the flat wasn't exactly free. Whether the closet action would be with Deidre or some handy slut he'd meet down in one of the local dives, or maybe someone a little closer to home, Ethan didn't know. But he could hope._

_"That's not just it," Ripper told him, "We don't exactly want a little I-Need-To-Be-Cared-For-Every-Fucking-Minute newbie hangin' around"_

_"She's not," Ethan told him, though he couldn't deny that he'd thought the same thing himself once or twice, "Besides she's the one who's got us that power link we've been after. These majiks have become a bit of a doss" He glanced over at Thomas, Phillip and Randall, who at that exact moment were getting high on the 'doss off' majiks. Pathetic. But then they weren't exactly as skilled as him and Ripper. _

_"And what is this 'power link'?" Ripper asked, attempting to sound disinterested, but Ethan knew him much better than that and he knew the thought of any kind of extra power would make Ripper tremble._

_At that point Deidre came tumbling out of the closet, eventually regaining her balance as she clambered towards Phillip._

_"So ready to take us to this guy you've been goin' on about, little girl?" Ripper asked tauntingly, walking over to the disorientated twenty year old. She may have been twenty, but the way she was most of the time, Ripper thought she might as well have been fourteen. So when she shook her head silently in answer to his question, he wasn't the least bit surprised. That didn't mean it didn't piss him off though._

_He reached over and grabbed Deidre roughly by the wrist, rough enough he knew it was going to leave a mark- a fact he was glad about, and tugged her up to a standing position and she yelped in frightened surprise. _

_"I think you are ready," He told her in a warning tone, before using his grip on her wrist to shove her forward. He couldn't care less about the fact she was still all over the place from the LSD._

_"Hey, what the fuck do you think you're doing?" Phillip, a guy who'd been pretty much taken by Deidre immediately, demanded of Ripper, but it was Ethan who replied._

_"I wouldn't if I were you," He advised smoothly. Ripper wanted to see the power fix guy now and that's what they were gonna do. Ethan knew he had more power than Ripper, but well, he couldn't deny that Ripper would always be the alpha in the group. That was just the way he went. And it was something Ethan didn't always find cause to complain about._

_

* * *

_

_It was just a dark empty alley. Nothing more, nothing less. And more to the point there was nothing there._

_"You said it was here," Ripper talked directly to Deidre while the others peered around from where they were stood, "You'd better not be pissing around here"_

_"It's invisible," Deidre told him, still looking very much out of it as she did so, but she was managing to form (almost) coherent sentences through it all and he had to give her credit for that, if not out loud. "You have to be in with the majiks to, feeling. There. Feel where. Where it is"_

_"Yeah," Ethan murmured in agreement, stepping past Ripper and Deidre, "Can't you feel it Ripper? Right here it is"_

_Ripper looked unconvinced, so Deidre gave Ethan a shove. Ethan disappeared through the cloak. Deidre quickly followed on. Ripper, Thomas, Randall and Phillip were left in the alley alone, the other two no longer there. It only took Ripper a second to follow on where Ethan and Deidre had led._

_On the other side of the now obvious cloak, was nothing more spectacular than any of the joints they'd been too to get their regular non-majik drugs- it was a dump, old newspapers everywhere,empty beer bottles and two people crashed out, completely out of it, on the two moth ridden sofas in the waiting room. So Ripper didn't really see what was so special about the goddamn place. _

_That is until, the person behind it all, the guy Deidre had been going on about non bloody stop, stepped out of a back room. This guy had power- it was not just Ethan who could sense that. This was just the kind of power boost they'd all been looking for._

_"Strawberry," Rack smiled at Deidre, a smile that was cold and calculating, but filled with something that could be only deciphered as a need for Deidre, "Welcome back home. And I see you brought guests," He smiled that same calculating grin as he looked around at the group of five Deidre had brought along with her._

* * *

"Strawberry?" Willow asked, more to herself than anything, but Giles heard nonetheless. 

"Pardon?"

"Nothing," Willow told him. She didn't want to admit how 'Strawberry' had been what Rack had called her. She had been given the same nickname as the the girl that had introduced Giles to Rack. And Deidre had apparently frequented there beforehand already, so what did that say about her, Willow? No, that was something she definitely didn't need to tell Giles, "So, Deidre was the one that got you into it all. Just goes to prove what I said before- that it was someone else behind it all again"

_

* * *

_

_Rack gestured for the group to come to the back room he himself had just exited. One of the guys on the sofa, who moments ago had seemed completely out of it, got up in protest._

_"No, I've waited long enough Rack, long enough," The guy complained, but before he had barely taken a step forward, Rack waved his hand sharply and abruptly and with a crackle of black magickal electricity, the man collapsed back down on the sofa, his eyes diluted to impossible widths and Ripper and the others were immediately intrigued by this friend of Deidre's._

_

* * *

_

_"An interesting group you've got here Strawberry," Rack commented not-at-all-lightly as he took in every member of the group. He first looked at Phillip, "You...you're a lightweight. I can tell" Phillip looked momentarily offended, before trying to cover this by adding more machismo to his stance, "That won't do it," Rack told him with a slight, sinister laugh, tapping Phillip's chest, "It's in here"_

_Rack then moved onto Randall. He didn't say anything at all to this one for a moment, merely looking him over with dangerous interest. _

_"You're the one here for the rush aren't ya?" He asked, though they all knew it wasn't really a question, "Be careful of spells you can't handle though." From anyone else's mouth this comment would have been one of caring, kindness and concern, but from Rack it was anything but. He almost said it with gleeful delight._

_Next was Thomas. He was obviously of no consequence to Rack, no interest as he merely glanced at him before moving onto the next, to find, the next was not stood in a well-disciplined stance, waiting for Rack to judge him. Ethan, like Ripper, was having a good nosy round._

_These two interested Rack more than the rest, but in different ways. Oh they were both undoubtedly stronger and more powerful than the others, that was for sure, but that wasn't what interested him. At least, it wasn't the only thing._

_The first, Ethan, was, like Randall, one who loved the rush the majiks gave him, but, unlike Randall, he didn't let it control him but instead used the rush to his own advantage. Be it in life, work, sex. He was the most powerful of the group, or at least, the most skilled. _

_The other, the one the group called Ripper, was a bit more complicated though he was definitely in the Ethan column. Just as powerful, but less skilled. He seemed to be one who just went for the blunt, straight to it angle rather than the subtle, deadly, insidious approach Ethan was undoubtedly fond of. He was also multi layered. Rack saw the Ripper persona, but he also saw a quieter, gentler character that would no way in heaven or hell be here in a million years, and then beneath that there was an even darker character. The one that was Ripper to the nth term and the one that frankly, even Ripper wasn't big on letting out to play. The one that was quite willing to go to extreme lengths to get what he wanted or to do what was needed to be done. Would even kill. That was the one Rack wanted to reach._

_Right, it was time to take a little tour._

* * *

"He did the majik tour thingy?" Willow asked. She was now sat down with Tara, listening to Giles' retelling of events in London in the early 70s. She still wasn't convinced he could be as bad as he said he was, she hadn't heard anything particularly shocking yet- sure he had treated Deidre quite badly, but that was hardly something to write home about- but the story, at least, was an interesting one and she did want to see how it ended. 

"Yes, he did. Though I wasn't bloody keen on the idea." Giles told her, "Less so than Ethan was actually. And Ethan was always very particular about that sort of thing"

"Was it a rush though?" Willow asked, conscious of how uncomfortable the question made Tara feel. She didn't like reminding Tara of the bad place she had gone to with Amy.

"It was a rush," Giles admitted, "But not a good one. Brought something out in me I didn't even realize was there and,well, when he started doing the spells and the majiks on top of that. Well, it went decidedly unwell. For the ah others that is"

_

* * *

_

_Two weeks on and the group had become regulars at Rack's ever moving __place. The majik was also such a rush, but they rarely seemed to realize that their rush seemed to be giving Rack his own high as their energy became entwined with his._

_Of course, the others were still happy with what Rack could give them, but Ethan and Ripper. They were slowly getting bored. They weren't getting the same rush as they originally had and had been looking for something new for the past week. All of it had been pretty shit though and they were still looking. _

_Ethan was getting pretty pissed off with Ripper himself of late. Ethan was the one doing the boring research thing in an attempt to find something better than Rack while all Ripper did was get a majik high, get pissed at Deidre, shag Deidre, get pissed at the guys, get pissed at Ethan (Ethan was sure he'd get the same secondary treatment as Deidre if it wasn't too pissed off at Ripper's attitude to go along for the ride) and finally, shag any girl he thought fairly good looking when they went out. _

_And now the latest one in a long line, Charlotte, or Charlene or something like that was coming out of the bedroom, looking very pleased, the telltale belt imprints around her wrists,with Ripper walking out behind her, barely zipping up his his pants in time to exit the room decently. The girl turned around to Ripper, possibly to kiss him, to smile, to whatever, but he'd already walked off, lost interest and was now heading over to fridge for, well, a beer most likely. _

_"Ripper..." The girl said in a typically girly pleading tone and Ripper rolled his eyes though he didn't actually look at her as he continued to look through the fridge for some half decent beer._

_"What. Cheryl?" He asked impatiently._

_"Charlotte," The girl corrected, sounding hurt. Ripper couldn't care less_

_"Ripper, aren't you gonna kiss me goodbye?" She asked, "I won't see you till next week"_

_You won't be seeing me at all, he thought to himself, but aloud he said._

_"Look, sod off would ya?" Before he headed over to the group demanding who the fuck had drank the last of the good beer. They all pointed at each other._

_Cheryl, Charlotte, Chantalle, Charlene, whoever, followed him, still pleading for his attention._

_"Look, go home," He told her straightforwardly, "Bugger off"_

_She just continued to look hurt and didn't budge and when she looked about ready to turn on the waterworks Ripper had just had too much. He grabbed her arm roughly causing her to cry out in a way that wasn't at all like the way she had been crying out in the bedroom, and dragged her over to the door, not caring as she stumbled and tripped over the objects strewn about the place. With the hand not holding onto her, he pulled open the door before shoving her out. She stumbled and fell, hitting her head on the wall of the flat corridor. It scraped the skin and she touched the injury in shock, not believing the red she saw on her fingers as she pulled them away._

_"Get the fucking picture?" He asked her. He slammed the door in her face._

* * *

"That wasn't the worse," Giles told Willow though he saw the shock on her and Tara's face, "That was one of the nicer stories. 'Nice' used relatively loosely at this juncture I think you'll agree. I didn't care really, I still don't even know what her name was actually. I was the one who got the most...the most 'nasty' I suppose you could say. I didn't tell the others, afraid they'd reign in on my parade I suppose, but ah, I went to Rack a lot more often they did. Almost everyday actually. I just needed that fix so much. It was a stronger addiction than any previous majik, any previous drug. I just kept going back for more. But that was the night Ethan stumbled across the text about Eyghon. And everything Eyghon could bring us. 'Rack cubed' I believe Phillip described it after his first go. We of course went to Rack the first night we intended to summon Eyghon. It was a boost, enough to give us the energy to actually summon the demon. After that, we never needed go back to Rack. Eyghon was enough. More than enough" _

* * *

_

_"Time to go to sleep," Ethan grinned as Randall lay down in the circle, wards all around him, candles glowing theatrically and powerfully as the group sat surrounding him, summoning Eyghon. The biggest high was for the one Eyghon inhabited but there was also the rush of simply being the ones summoning him. The power was tangible, and Ethan and Ripper grinned, both tasting the power, the majiks already building around them. It was an incredible high. One that blew Rack outta the water._

* * *

"We killed him" Giles corrected and Willow sensed another guilt trip heading his way and she hurried to wave it off. 

"No Giles. I mean, yeah, it was a risk that you all took but it was a choice Randall made too, and it was ultimately Eyghon killed him, not you"

"No, no it wasn't," Giles shook his head and as he carried on, Willow and Tara were sure he wasn't there with them anymore but was actually reliving that horrible night, "Eyghon took him over correct. But we, we killed him"

_

* * *

_

_The wards had been smashed away, the candles blow out, every melodramatically but terrifying-in-real-life cliché had been used by Eyghon as it drenched Randall in it's essence. Randall's own features had melted away as Eyghon's had taken over. His pale pink skin had peeled away to reveal blue and green scales blotched with black. His ears had elongated into demonic features and his eyes were a soulless black with pin pricks of yellow glowing out at them all. Randall's hair had fall away or been covered by the demon's skin that had grown over it. Randall writhed in pain in the circle while the demon reveled in it's near freedom. It was too much for any of them there. _

_"Oh god, what do we do?" Thomas asked Ethan and Ripper desperately, the only other two who had remained near the circle. Deidre had ran away, backed up against the wall in terror and Phillip had ran over to see to her. She was practically catatonic in horror repeating to herself over and over again that they shouldn't have done this and they shouldn't have gone so far. Not one of them could tear their eyes away from the thing that had once been their friend. Randall. _

_"How the fuck should I know?" Ethan retorted, clearly bordering on panic. _

_Ripper remained silent just watching Randall as Ripper and Rupert had an internal battle. Neither agreed on the purpose, but they unfortunately agreed on the only answer. Randall was gone, they were never going to bring him back. Ripper didn't want Eyghon after him next and Rupert didn't want Eyghon being embodied and so free to go after others. _

_There were weapons in the back. Including an ax. Both Ripper and Rupert knew the only way Eyghon could be stopped from entering this world._

_He got up and headed to the back room._

_"Where the hell are you going? You're not pissing off as well are you?" Ethan called after him, but Ripper didn't answer. But a moment later in returned, ax in hand. "Ripper..." Ethan said, half questioning, half warning. He also knew the one way to stop Eyghon now. _

_Eyghon was getting stronger by the second, Randall almost faded away completely, the demon just a step from being completely reborn on earth. The only remnant of Randall was the tattoo that had been on his forearm, It was glowing an iridescent yellow on Eyghon himself now. _

_He saw Eyghon standing, but still neither Rupert nor Ripper could do it. He looked down at the ax in his hand then over at Eyghon/Randall. He couldn't do this, could he? No, but that deep dark place Rack had been so intent in bringing out (had succeeded too), the same dark place that had caused him to do so many things that only now he was beginning to regret. The part of him from that place could do. Could do what was necessary. Could even kill. _

_Eyghon was just stepping out of the circle when Rupert swung the ax around and for a brief moment the soulless look in the demon's eyes disappeared and was replaced by those that had belonged to Randall. They showed an expression of sorrow and betrayal. Rupert might have stopped for this, had the ax not already been gliding through it's path. It sliced through Eyghon's neck cleanly. _

_But the body and head that rolled on the floor was Randall's._

* * *

"Oh god," Willow murmured, holding onto Tara's hand as tightly as she was holding onto hers. She wanted to throw up. She couldn't believe Giles would do that. Had been capable of that. Was he still capable of that? No, he couldn't be. He wasn't the same guy anymore. The same man who had been so sorely addicted to the majiks he had dragged himself to Rack's every night. The same man who had used girl after girl after girl before tossing them out heartlessly, even causing them bodily harm. The same man who had...god. Randall. Poor Randall. No wonder Giles had immediately returned to the Council. 

"So Willow," Giles concluded, "You wanted to know and so there you have it. A story I admit I have never retold to anyone"  
"Oh but you told it to me didn't you?" Rack said and the three turned in shock to see Rack stood in the doorway to the training room. "Right before you had your final fix."

"You still went back, even after what happened?" Now Willow really was shocked and disgusted, but she did actually feel she now knew exactly why Giles was so intent on training her, on helping her overcome it all.

"Hello, Strawberry," Rack grinned at Willow and Giles frowned, remembering the nickname being used by Rack for someone else. For Deidre. "Want a little taster as well?" He asked, "How about your little-" He was about to say 'friend', but when he took in Tara he saw no potential there. She had power, yes, by god she had power, but it was a power that was of no use to him. The first he'd come across in a good long while that hadn't the ability to be corrupted.

"What are you doing here?" Giles asked, shortly before ordering, "Get out"

"Knew you'd need that fix again, once you knew I was here Ripper" Rack replied, "I felt it. That need. The greed for it."

Giles didn't answer, but suddenly something clicked and concerned Willow. Something that Rack had said.

"What did you mean did I want a fix 'as well?'" She asked and before she could even anticipate an answer, Rack had hit Giles with his best dose.

She looked at Giles, who had stumbled slightly with the impact and had no doubt been hit with a lot of the majiks Rack had to offer, before she looked at Tara.

"Well, that can't be good," She said simply, while thinking much curse worthier thoughts.


	18. Into the Dark Age Part Two

Whoa, I suddenly got like five reviews on the same day for that chapter. I hope my 'where are you guys' comment didn't sound threatening. Haha. I was just wondering where you were at. hehe.

Abrxyis- Yes, it was quite a dark chapter, and I'm actually glad that Ripper had an impact on you.It took me forever to try and get it right- you know going far enough, but not ridiculously far. And no he wasn't nice, but we got Rupert out of it all in the end. A review of yours went AWOL? How dare it! Hehe. But yes, the trio is finally revealed to all hehe, and you've gotta love Blunt Anya, but happy you liked Take Charge Anya. It well, it just seemed like her moment. hehe. Hope you like this chapter, but Ripper's all dark and shadowy again. Thanks for the review.

Jason Barnett- I'm taking the teachings there from Wiccan laws, or advice rather. Of how energy for spells should be taken from the earth (not without asking of course) as Mother Earth has continous positive energy that you channel. And even then you need to ground after that. But even on a Hellmouth, it would be possible to tune into the good vibrations and that is what Giles is encouraging Willow to do. Thanks for the review.

g120- You're 'I'm back' had a slight 'The Shining' edge to it. hehe. But I'm totally with you on the whole 'back to school getting in the way' front. I know how it can be, goddamn it. But I like the fact my story's addictive (At least I hope you were referring to this story, hehe) for you. teehee. And yes, we delve further into the Ripper development. But he's just such a darned difficult character to write. He's so elusive. I mean the closest we got to seeing him was a bit in the Dark Age and Halloween and a younger version in Band Candy, dammit. hehe. Thanks for the well done comment of course and thanks for the review.

Rabidreject- **.::Hands held up in the air, backing away slowly::. **Don't worry, I know you review a lot. You are one of my faithful reviewers, hehe. It's just on the last chapter only one review (Zigpal) and you had me worried I'd lost your interest. hehe. And thank GAWD you liked my Ripper characterization, you wouldn't believe how much I stressed over that. Thans for the review and hope you like this chapter.

zigpal- Yay my claps! hehe, Thanks for the review and well, things don't get hairy in the training room just yet but hairyness will ensue. And well, you'll just have to see about the Spike sitch.

* * *

A/N: I have slight semi-comical Giles-Xander comparison in this chapter. It's only teeny, but I still wanted to explain what inspired me to put it there. Okay, so anyone else notice the similarities between Giles and Xander? Seriously. I mean aside from the good-looking side of things. 

I mean they both are very protective over Buffy, putting her first above all else no matter what (Or though Xander's feelings for Buffy definitely lean more to the sexual). The two of them are equally sarcastic, and equally great at using said sarcasm. And in each season they seem to be going through similar periods in their life.

I mean in season 1 they both weren't sure what role they could have in Buffy's Slaying life- Buffy having told Xander he could get hurt, and told Giles she's had enough essentially with clueless Watchers giving the orders.

Season 2, while they are both having relationship issues- just like everyone else in this season- Xander is as equally mad at Angel as Giles is when Jenny is murdered. The two of them are the ones that are constantly most anti-Angel.

And next, season three. Oh the two of them are quite happy in the first part of the series, nothing much amiss, then at the same time Giles' relationship with Joyce gets uber complicated so does Xander's and Cordy's (culminating in Lover's Walk of course). Also, at the exact same time Giles has been fired and lost his purpose, Xander is feeling like the Zeppo. They both lose their sense of direction and purpose, and fittingly the two of them play a pivotal role in the Graduation battle.

Then, there was season four. Could the two have been more like each other in this season? They were practically the same person. Both feeling useless and unwanted and both hanging out at Giles' apartment, desperate for some mayhem to occur.

And lo and behold- what happens in season 5? They _both_ get a steady job and purpose again! You see where I'm going with this? They just constantly reflect one another. Also, after Joyce's tragic death, both cope with the loss through denial. Xander refuses to accept it was natural causes ('Maybe it was Glory...Things don't happen. I mean they don't just happen!'), while Giles on some level refuses to believe it's happened at all as he sits sadly in his apartment, drinking and listening to Tales of Brave Ulysses, the song the two listened to when they were allowed to just be themselves together.

And in season 6, in light of Giles' absence, Xander seems to take on Giles' role in everybody's life. He's the one who leads the research, bringing focus to it and is the one who has the more serious heart to hearts, giving insight to everybody when they need it most. He is also left with the job of being the one to force Buffy to be serious when the situation calls for it. Such as in 'Gone' where Anya and Buffy are discussing hairstyles and Xander asks them if they could stop talking about cuts for a minute and focus on Buffy's invisibility as this is serious. In that moment he is uncannily mirroring Giles in The Prom where he asks the girls to stop talking about dresses and focus on the Mayor's ascension.

And season 7 the two of them, although they have been very similar over the years, are finally on equal footing. Which is really nice me thinks. And on a sad, but equally uncanny note, Xander also looses the woman he loves to evil (Anya for Xander, Jenny for Giles). And actually, if you look how Anya has fallen on the debris her neck cracked to the side, blank staring eyes- very Jenny-esque. Only without the Angel wrapping.

Speaking of the woman though, they also have a share on that front. Both definitely had lusty feelings for Joyce (shown in Band Candy for Giles and Restless for Xander), both had Drusilla making with the smoochies on them, both fell for Natalie French (Though so did every other guy) and I know Jenny/Giles was canon and there was no mention of Jenny/Xander on show, but you have to admit that Xander always cared very strongly for Jenny's welfare. Just saying.

Anyway, ramble over. On with the story.

* * *

Willow looked on at a disorientated Giles in worry, before turning on Rack in anger. 

"What the hell did you just...do?" Willow trailed off as she looked around. Rack was already gone. She hadn't even heard him leave the practical side of her said, while her more magickally inclined side made her realize that Rack more than likely hadn't left by conventional means.

"Giles?" Tara called, stepping forward cautiously, "A-are you okay?"

"I'm fine," He told her abruptly, shaking his head as if to clear it.

"No offense, Giles," Willow told him, taking in his shaky appearance and the fact his eyes had flooded with the same blackness her own had many times before, "But you really don't look okay"

"I'm fine Willow," Giles insisted. Slight sparks of black and red majikal electricity crackled between his fingers and both Will and Tara looked on in deep concern.

"Giles I-"

"Look, I'm fine alright? Just stop being such a mithering bint"

Willow and Tara were both understandably shocked by Giles' harsh words and he shook his head again.  
"I'm sorry Willow," He apologized, "It's...I'm not quite focused right now"

"No kidding," Willow agreed, "Giles you were hit with a serious dose. I really think you should sit down"

It was on the tip of Giles' tongue to tell Willow to stop telling him what to do, but he had enough awareness to bite back the words and he allowed the two girls to direct him to the nearby seat.

He sat down and dropped his head in his hands, trying to regain focus. It was almost impossible. The rush was such a familiar one, no matter how long he had gone without it. It was something he hadn't told Willow and had never intended to. That no matter how much you may overcome the addiction, no matter how much you no longer became agitated or stressed without majik, the addiction was always there, deep down inside you. And the slightest contact with something as dark and addictive as Rack's majik was an instant regression into the addiction as the high was as powerful as it had ever been.

And Giles hadn't been hit with just a little. He'd been hit with a lot. And he could feel it rushing through him, seeking control. He wanted to get the better of it to much, to gain control over it instead of the other way round, but it wasn't happening. And he was dreadfully afraid of the dark place it was taking him little by little.

He reached out a hand to the nearby table to steady himself and the cup placed there which he touched with his fingertips crackled with black energy before folding in on itself. He looked on in more fascination that horror.

"Giles, w-we, I think you, until we can figure this out, perhaps, I think you should try and ground yourself," Tara suggested, looking worriedly at the cup and then at Giles, "It might focus a lot of the majik, or drain it enough for you to gain focus again"

Giles didn't answer and Tara and Willow looked at each other in worry, even more so when Giles suddenly stood up as though deciding something.

"Giles?" Willow questioned.

"I've got to uh...I've got to go," He told them, "If I stay here, it'll only effect everything."

"Like the cup?" Willow checked, "Look, Giles, I know you're worried, but you know- so am I. Only not about the cup. More about you. I really don't think you should leave. "

"And you should really stop thinking you know what you're talking about," Giles retorted, "Just shut up and stick to what you know. Which, if you were wondering, is not the majiks"

"Look, you're obviously not thinking straight," Willow reasoned, trying to ignore how much his words hurt her. After all, she kept reminding herself, he wasn't himself right now- the majiks were effecting him too much. "Giles, just wait here," She began, putting a hand on his arm to try and jolt him back to the non-majik-high reality and make him sit down. But the mere connection mixed with his obvious frustration caused more of that black energy that seemed to be crackling about him since Rack's 'treat', to shock through her, sending her into Tara, feeling slightly buzzed but definitely not in a good way.

After she and Tara got their bearings they realized Giles was already gone.

"Tara, what are we gonna do?" Willow asked worriedly, "I mean, he's pretty wacked out now, and he's doing like okay controlling it. What's gonna happen when he does lose control? And he will. It's the only way it can go. Oh god, what are we gonna do? I mean, where's he gone?"

"Willow, breathe, it's okay," Tara said calmly, "We, we can solve this. We can. We just need to-"

"Get Buffy?" Willow suggested.

"Well, I was thinking more of me doing a locater spell..." Tara admitted, "But yes, that's a good idea too. Go call Buffy, get her here."

"And Xander," Willow added to herself as she walked out of the room to head to the shop phone. She wanted both Buffy and Xander there. They were the only other two who'd dealt with Giles' past before and although this was essentially nothing alike the time in their Junior year, Willow felt the two could still bring comfort to an uncomfortable-in-a-terrifying-sort-of-way matter.

* * *

Giles was extremely disorientated and everything he touched seemed to be effected by the majiks that were crackling through him. He was afraid to touch anything, for fear it would trigger automatic use of the majiks currently in him which would drag him down to a place he really didn't want to go. 

The trick lay in remaining focused. Focused enough that he wouldn't use any of the majiks. But by God it was taking all of him to manage to do that.

He was in fact so focused on focusing that he barely realized he had walked, or stumbled confusedly may have been a more accurate word, all the way to his own front door. He sighed in relief. This was one place he always felt safe, secure and as though anything were possible, be it demons or his own inner evil. He rested his head on the door with a sigh of intense relief, before resting his hands on the door also. The wood tingled with majikal electricity before opening all by it's own majikal accord and Giles tried desperately to suppress the pleasing rush that that one action had caused him. He'd have to be more careful.

* * *

"Willow, what is it?" Buffy asked in panic, rushing into the magic store. She had been in a class when her cell had started ringing. Seeing it was the Magic Box number she had immediately feared the worst and excused herself from the class to answer it. Willow hadn't been very clear on the details throughout the phone call, but her voice had been distraught enough for Buffy to immediately grab her bag, bail class and run over to the store at a speed only a Slayer could achieve. 

As she rushed over to Willow, she saw Tara and Xander were there also and knew it must be something serious for them all to be there (well, all except Anya). The kinda serious that required a Watcher's insight. Speaking of.

"Where's Giles?" Buffy asked as she placed her bag on the table.

"That's the problem..." Willow said quietly, "We don't know"

"You don't know?" Buffy asked, sure she had heard wrong, "What do you mean you don't know?"

"Something happened," Tara told her in a calm voice that amazingly seemed to immediately betray dire seriousness of the situation.

"What happened?" Buffy asked, now equally as serious, "Did something happen to Giles? Or Mom?"

"Giles got a majik dose Buffy," Xander informed her somberly, having already been brought up to speed on the story, "By the same guy who got to Willow. Ripper's back, Buffy"

"What?" Buffy asked in a deadly low tone, her eyes wide.

"No, not yet," Willow hurried to correct Xander, "He's still Giles...but he's teetering Buffy. And he's not well teeter champion right now. I think he could..."

"Could go off the deep end," Buffy finished in realization, "Great. Have you called Mom?"

"What?" Willow asked, the thought never having occurred to her.

"Willow, if Giles is turning the screw, she could be in trouble," Buffy almost shouted as panic mounted. She looked down at her watch, "She'll just be getting home. I've gotta get there. Xander, you too. We need to motor"

Xander nodded in immediate agreement, already heading out but Buffy took a moment to look back at Tara and Willow.

"You two. Work on a way to de-majik Giles. Fast"

The two witches nodded, before rushing over to the shelved books, immediately moving into intense research mode.

* * *

Joyce knew something was wrong the moment she saw the front door was open. The front was rarely locked, true, but it was never left wide open. She slowed her pace walking up the drive, wary of what could be there, but refusing to be scared away from her own home. 

As she reached the door, she paused, glancing around at the hall in front of her. Nothing seemed out of place and nothing dangerous jumped out her so she stepped forward into her home, still looking around warily. Just in case. She walked slowly into the living room and saw a lamp opened up like a flower, definitely not how it had been before. Looking around she saw there were many objects that had been warped and changed. A book on the side seemed to be glowing black, if it were at all possible to glow black in the first place.

Now, deeply concerned, Joyce followed the path of effected objects through the kitchen and back into the dining room where the breadcrumbs seemed to end. And she saw Rupert there. He was against the far wall, standing, but barely so. His fingers were surrounded with the same sparkling black energy that had been humming around the book in the living room.

"Rupert, what's- are you okay?" She asked as she rushed over to him.

"Yes, I'm fine," He told her, his tone harsh and Joyce was slight taken aback.

"I was just, Rupert what's the matter with you?" Joyce asked, but still he didn't make eye contact, his head remaining lowered, "Why won't you look at me? Rupert?"

She crouched down slightly, so she could look into his eyes and force him to make eye contact. But what she saw wasn't the usual warm and familiar green eyes but black pupiless abysses, a horrifying soulless sight that she had only ever seen occur Willow when the majiks had been getting a hold on her. Oh god, what had happened to Rupert?

* * *

"Xander, you drive like Giles," Buffy said simply as she and Xander drove to her house in Xander's car. 

"What?" Xander took his eyes away from the road a moment to look at Buffy with a mixture of confusion and shock.

"Very, very slowly," Buffy elaborated semi-patiently, "Step on it"

"I _am_," Xander insisted, not bothering to tell her that if he went any faster Sunnydale's 'Finest' would be chasing them down the highway.

"Alright," Buffy agreed before murmuring, "Giles"

As they drove on they stopped talking, but Buffy found this left her alone with her worries about Giles and by extension her Mom, so she searched for something to say to distract herself.

"Hey, how come Anya's not with you?" She asked.

"Oh she's got some demon buddy over in preparation for the wedding," Xander explained as he took a right, "Halfrek or something," He turned to Buffy, "Did you ever see Anya you know all demony? Because, well, there was some serious veinage going on there"

* * *

"Rupert, what's happened?" Joyce kept repeating his name, in the hopes that it would bring him back to himself, but it had done nothing so far. His eyes continued to look cold and soulless, the magic still crackling at his fingertips and what minimal response he did give her was cold and harsh. 

"Nothing," He told her in that same harsh, abrupt tone that had become hurtfully familiar to her in the past few minutes.

"It doesn't look like nothing, Rupert," She insisted, "In fact...it looks very much like a 'something'" A _dangerous_ something she added silently to herself.

"It's nothing," He insisted through gritted teeth, in a warning tone that seemed to borer on threat.

"Rupert, what's wrong? You're scaring me" She told him, but no warmth or emotion flickered in those black eyes and he didn't even flinch at the words of her discomfort. Something was definitely off here, so off it was setting her on edge. She didn't like to openly admit it, but she was actually afraid right now of the man she loved. "I'm going, I'm going to call Buffy"

She turned to head for the phone but was stopped by Rupert grabbing onto her wrist tightly, so tightly in fact she found it hurt.

"No," He told her firmly, "You're not calling Buffy"

"Rupert, something's wrong. That is very- I need to call Buffy. Now, please let go," She tugged but he didn't let go, just looked at her evenly, warningly with those pupiless eyes. She found she couldn't actually look at them, they were so unlike Rupert that it physically hurt to see them there in place of his familiarly warm expression.

"You're not calling Buffy," He repeated.

"Yes, I am," She insisted, "Now let go of me," He didn't, "Rupert, you're hurting me"

He used his grip on her wrist to pull himself away from the wall slightly and every bone and muscle in Joyce's wrist felt the extremely painful strain of that pressure. So, through this, she inadvertently found herself being brought intimately closer to him. Something that usually made her tingle with excitement, but right now made her squirmish with fear.

"Rupert, something is obviously wrong here, terribly wrong," She spoke to him pleadingly, hoping beyond hope that some form of the old, familiar him would come through, "I need to get a hold of Buffy"

"You don't need to do anything," Giles told her in that same warning tone, "I am going to go out and you are_ not_ going to run off to your daughter when I do so. I can handle this myself, do you understand me?"

"Rupert, I think y-"

"I said," He spoke over her, his voice low and threatening, "Do you understand me?"

He waited for a weak and frightened nod, before letting go of her wrist, tossing her away from him so she stumbled slightly.

She watched in shock as he went to leave, but although she had nodded in agreement, she was anything but agreeing with him. In one last desperate clutching-at-straws chance she walked after him, putting a hand on his arm calmingly.

"Rupert, please, just stop for a minute. Please"

She hadn't even seen it coming. She just felt the wall hit her back, the same way it had almost four years ago, though this time she thankfully remained conscious. She felt the wind practically knocked out of her as she put a hand to her cheek feeling the hot mark there. As Rupert, or was it even Rupert any more, stormed out of the house, Joyce drew her hand away from her cheek and couldn't believe the red she saw there.

* * *

"Mom! Mom!" Buffy called urgently as she burst through the already open front door of her house. She started sweeping the house immediately, Xander right behind her, "Mom!" 

She stopped when she came to the kitchen and sighed in relief when she saw her Mom sat there. The relief turned to worry when she saw her Mom holding an ice pack to a cheek with a raw wrist.

"Mom, what happened?"

"Oh thank God Buffy, I was trying to call you," Joyce said, filled with relief at the sight of her daughter. She got up, setting the ice pack down and both Buffy and Xander saw the dark bruise imprinted there.

"Oh my god, Mom!" Buffy rushed over to see her Mom's cheek but Joyce brushed her away uncomfortably, almost as if she were embarrassed.

"It's fine, Buffy," She insisted, "But Rupert- there's something wrong. He wasn't himself, he-"

"He did this to you didn't he?" Buffy guessed correctly, pushing Joyce's hand away to get a closer look at the severe bruise on Joyce's cheek. This only went to show how bad the situation had gotten. In his right mind Giles would never in a million years hit Joyce.

"Buffy, what's going on? Rupert was, he was different," Joyce was completely distraught, "He's-"

"Got himself a big dose of the black arts," Xander filled in grimly.

"What?" Joyce looked from Xander to Buffy for an explanation.

"Remember that guy, Rack?" Buffy prompted, "He knew Giles from back when, and he was the one stocking Willow's magic weed"

"Yes," Joyce nodded, barely able to suppress the shudder that coursed through her at the memory of the 'man'.

"Well, he kinda... he caught up with Giles during Willow's training session." Buffy explained.

"And he hit Giles with his best shot," Xander explained.

"Oh God," Joyce sank back into her seat as the full implications of what this meant sank in also, "It's like a regression. Like with drug addicts" She said, mostly to herself but Buffy and Xander both heard her.

"What?" Buffy asked, "You seem a little more clued up than us right now. How?"

Joyce smiled faintly.

"Do you think he hasn't told me everything?" She asked them, "After, after what had happened with Ethan- remember when you were in your first year of college? After that, Rupert decided to tell me everything. Every last horrific detail. He wanted me to make a 'well-informed decision' over whether I wanted to continue the relationship or not after I had heard what I heard."

"And?" Buffy prompted for more.

"He told me of his addiction. He didn't say Rack's name, but thinking on it, it was more than likely who he was referring to. He got severely addicted and it affected him worse than the others, worse than Ethan even. Apparently he became-" Joyce faltered, looking at the two, before deciding not to go into too much detail, "A very nasty person. Not someone you'd want to meet in a dark alley if you catch my meaning"

"Oh god," Xander said as he realized what this meant for the situation at hand.

"He said he did eventually overcome the addiction," Joyce continued, "But like with drug addicts or alcoholics, the addiction is always there so..."

"So, Rack hitting him with all this power is going to be a major two steps back," Buffy finished, "And we're gonna have a fully developed Ripper on our hands"

"So what do we do?" Xander asked, "What's the plan?"

"We're gonna need Tara...and I guess Willow," Buffy reasoned, "This is a magic problem so we fight fire with fire. We also need to go get Spike. He's the only other person besides me strong enough to help if things get violent"

"You really don't think it's going to be that bad do you?" Xander asked, slightly skeptical of the concept of Giles going so off the deep end that Spike of all people (or vampires as the case was) would be needed to stop him, alongside a Slayer as well. "I mean we've had insight to not-so-pretty past Giles before. I mean we can just help him right?"

"Yeah, we'll help him," Buffy agreed confidently, before looking at her Mom the bruise shining there like a beacon to Buffy, "But I'm getting the feeling that what we've seen before now has only been the PG rating of Ripper."

"And you're saying this is the R screening?" Xander questioned and Buffy nodded grimly.

"Which I'm thinking means mundo badness for us"


	19. Into the Dark Age Part Three

zigpal- thank you for clappyness, reviewyness and general ness. And ah yes, the consequences of the Ripper antics. We sorta see 'em here, but well, Dead Things will see more of it. ;-)

rabidreject- Don't worry, the fun was there. hehe. and ooh you flatterer re the positive adjectives comment.teehe. but you know awesome, amazing they all do that ego boost thing for me. haha. Thanks for the review, and hope you like this chapter.

* * *

Buffy had been the lady of determined focus the moment she and Xander left her house. Joyce had stayed behind- Dawn was expected back from Janice's later on and she had wanted to be there when she returned, not wishing her to arrive to an empty house. 

As they reached the cemetery that was home to Spike's crypt, Buffy stormed past cracked gravestones, not even paying attention to the minute orange flags she stomped over. Xander was barely able to keep up pace.

When she finally reached the door of Spike's crypt she paused and seemed to take a deep breath as though calming herself in preparation of seeing Spike and Xander thought this an odd ritual, but given the circumstances chose wisely not to comment.

Once she was comfortable with her quiet rage, Buffy pushed open the door with a familiarity that a person who seemingly only ever came to the crypt to knock the owner out shouldn't have.

"Spike?" She called and she and Xander found the neutered vampire to be sat comfortably in an arm chair watching the latest episode of_ Passions_. At the sound of their arrival, Spike jumped out of his seat and immediately switched the television off before turning to face them.

"Buffy," Spike smiled a smile that immediately disappeared when he caught sight of Xander, "If I'da known you were coming I would have baked a cake" Spike told him sarcastically.  
"Spike, this is not a small talk visit," Buffy told him in a voice that made Spike instantly serious.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"It's Giles," She explained.

"Giles?" Spike scoffed, "You came st- calmly walking over here because of a blip with the wonder librarian? What'd he do? Break his fine china? Unable to have a cup of tea is he?"

"Spike, Giles is in pretty bad shape,"

Spike had only to look at Buffy's somber expression to know that what Xander was saying was true.

"What's happened?" He asked, looking deadly serious and speaking directly to Buffy.

"I don't know," Buffy shrugged worriedly, "Rack hit him with some dark-"

"Rack?" Spike asked, catching onto the name.

"You know him?" Xander asking, wondering why he was so surprised by this notion.

"Enough to know to stay out of his way," the vampire replied smoothly, "You say he's got Giles?"

"Not exactly," Buffy told him, "Rack hit him with some dark majik mojo. He's as majiked as they get right now. And we don't know where he is"

"And what do you want me to do about that, luv?" Spike asked, not missing her wide eyed look at his use of the word 'love', "I'm not a walking lo-jack you know"

"When we do find him, he may..." Buffy sighed, struggling to say the words, "He may not be willing to...or all that easy to stop. We'll need your help," Spike looked unconvinced, "Spike," Buffy said, ignoring the fact that Xander was there listening to every word, "please, just be a...be my friend"

* * *

"We got anything?" Buffy asked as she, Spike and Xander walked into the Magic Box. 

"Erm, if by anything you mean an absolute nada," Willow told her, looking up from the book she was researching in, "Then well, we got _plenty_. Tara's trying a scrying spell- you know, to at least look for Giles" She gestured at Tara, where indeed she was consecrating a clear quartz crystal with melted wax and one of Giles' shirts. Buffy didn't want to know why one of Giles' shirts would be around to hand at the store.

"Well, we did find him," Xander told his long time friend, "Or at least the wreck he left behind"

"What do you mean?" Willow asked, wide-eyed with worry.

"When he left here he must have gone back home," Buffy told her, "I think he must already be on the long and winding wicked road." Buffy looked grim, "He left Mom in a pretty bad shape"

"Oh my god," Tara gasped in concern from where she was starting her spell, "Is she okay?"

"Yeah she's fine," Buffy assured her, "Mostly anyway. Giles just left a bruise that isn't gonna disappear from her cheek anytime soon"

There was silence amongst the group as the full implication of this fact fell upon them all.

"Sorry, I'm late!" Anya exclaimed as she came rushing in through the front door, "What's going on? What'd I miss?"

"One of you fill her in," Buffy told them all, "I'm tapped"

Xander stepped up to the challenge.

"Is your erm...friend gone?" Xander asked his fiancée after attempting to explain what had happened to Giles.

"Yes," Anya replied a little testily, "Why? Did you have a problem with her being there?"

"What? Well," Xander frowned at her, "When you were a demon- did you erm, did you look, uh,look like that?"

"Why?" Anya yet again went on the offensive defense, "Did you think Hallie wasn't attractive?"

"There's no safe way for me to answer that is there?" Xander asked her knowing that if he said 'Hallie' was attractive Anya would assume he was saying Anya wasn't as good looking, but if he said no, Anya would take offense over him saying vengeance demons weren't attractive.

"Halfrek was always seen to be one of the great beauties," Anya informed him in a superior way.

"Well, Ahn," Xander said in a reasoning tone, "There was some vein action going on there"

Anya just gave him a pointed evil look that made him jump a little, before she walked over to the rest of the group,ready to face the task at hand.

"So Giles had gone evil- what we doin' about it?" She asked.

"Giles has _not _gone evil," Willow told her firmly, "He's just...a little crazy right now"

"Have you found him yet, Tara?" Buffy asked, walking over her to watch her swing the consecrated crystal over a small Sunnydale map.

"Well, he's either left Sunnydale," Tara reasoned, "Or he's started using cloaking spells. I'm not feeling a pull anywhere. It's not humming either"

"It hums?" Buffy asked, looking at the crystal with a raised eyebrow and Tara shrugged.

"Well, it's meant to do something and I think humming is on the same list as tugging so..."

Buffy was no longer listening to the explanation, she was too filled with worry for Giles as she began to pace.

"If he's started using uh- cloaking spells, then that means, it means things are getting worse doesn't it?" She looked to everyone for confirmation, "I mean he doesn't want us to find him anymore"

"He might be trying to figure it out on his own," Spike suggested, and when they all looked at him he shrugged, "What? The Watcher's always been a problem solver and now it's his problem so _he's_ gonna wanna solve it"

Buffy realized that actually made sense.

"Yeah, I mean when we had that Eyghon sitch in High School he didn't want to tell any of us did he?" She said to Willow and Xander, "We had to literally force him to accept our help. It's just the same now- he doesn't want us interfering"

"Well, he's not going about it very well is he?" Anya commented, "I mean he turned your house into the melting pot and left Joyce a bruise that isn't going to be easily covered with Max Factor"

"I know," Buffy agreed, "He's just making things worse...god, I just...I just wish he was here to tell me what to do"

"I'm having a thought," Xander said suddenly.

"Please to God tell me it's a positive one," Willow pleaded, but knew from her friend's expression that it wasn't going to be.

"Not really," Xander confirmed her suspicious, "I was just thinking- what if things get bad enough... what if he wants to hook up with his old pal Ethan again?"

"We don't let it get that far," Buffy said firmly with a confidence that she knew deep down she really didn't have. If they didn't get to Giles and help him soon, he would get worse and worse,more than likely wanting to get with Ethan again and if it went any further past that then...well, Buffy didn't know whether they'd be able to get Giles back. "Now I think we're going about this the wrong way. I mean we're obviously not gonna find Giles until he wants us too, and by then it may be way too late, but Will?"

"Yeah?"

"If we stopped the source of it all, would the majiks in Giles just go away?"

Willow thought about this.

"I guess so yeah,"

"Yes," Tara agreed, "Without the source, those particular majiks would cease to exist"

Buffy nodded as she took this information in, a plan already forming in her mind. She would be the first to admit it wasn't a pretty plan, but there didn't seem to be any others to choose from

"Right, then we find Rack instead," She finally said to the entire group. "Tara can you do that?"

"I-I, uh, I think so," She replied, discarding her present Giles-Finding spell.

"Right so we find Rack," Spike concluded, "But what are you planning on doing then?"

"Then, we kill him"

* * *

Joyce was having herself a good pace in the kitchen- the room where most pacing happened- when she heard Dawn come in. There was the telltale sign of the door being closed too loudly and then the thump of her bag being dropped on the floor in the hall, exactly where Joyce had persistently told her not to put it. 

"Mom! I'm home!" Dawn called out, walking through the house and inevitably into the kitchen.

Joyce was a little apprehensive- the constant hum of pain on her right cheek was a constant reminder that Dawn would be pretty, well startled at least, when she laid eyes on her Mother.

"Hey," Dawn greeted her with a smile that immediately became a concerned frown, "Oh my god- are you eating Twinkies?" Dawn looked at the five empty wrappers on the side. This was so unlike her Mom- she hated Twinkies. She hated most mass produced sugary foods, the one exception to the rule being chocolate of course, "Man, your cravings are getting weirder and weirder"

"I know," Joyce agreed with a small smile, turning her head slightly so her bruised cheek was not in Dawn's line of vision, "So how was Janice's?"

"The coolest." Dawn grinned, "We made buttered popcorn. And then...well, ate it"

"That sounds really lovely," Joyce told her with another small smile and this seemed to hint to Dawn that something wasn't quite right.

"What's wrong?" She asked, "What's the matter?"

"What? Nothing's wrong," Joyce told her, "Everything's fine"

"Then why are you acting all..." Dawn trailed off as she walked around and got a look at the side of her Mom's face that had been obscured from her up till now. "Oh my god- nothing's wrong? Your cheek's freakin' purple"

"It's nothing for you to worry about," Joyce assured her, attempting to calm Dawn down, "Everything's-"

"And your wrist. It's all red and- what _happened_?"

"Dawn, I-"

"Where's Buffy? What did this to you?"

"He didn't mean-"

"He?" Dawn asked, cutting her Mom off again, "A someone did this? Not a demon? Who?"

"Dawn, _please_," Joyce said patiently and her daughter stopped rambling off questions, "I don't w- I can't talk about this right now"

"But-"

"Just, please, Dawn, just go to your room"

Dawn looked hurt and disgruntled at being dismissed in such a way when she was just caring about her Mother's wellbeing. Nevertheless, she did as she was told, heading to her bedroom, wondering over who on earth had landed that bruise on her Mom, and guessing how Buffy was going to get payback.

* * *

"Kill him?" Xander questioned, "Buffy, you can't kill him; he's human" 

"Is he?" Buffy debated whether Rack could actually be classed as human anymore, "Coz, to be honest I'm not so sure"

"All warlocks are human," Anya informed her matter of factly, "No mater how evil they go. They're still human."

Buffy seemed to consider this for a moment as though this gave her second thoughts on the killing-him plan, but then a look of resolve came across her face.

"I don't care," She said firmly, as though daring anyone to question her, "Rack has gone too far. He's hurt Willow, he's hurt Giles and now, by extension, he's hurt Mom. And human or not- I can tell you now, I _really_ don't care anymore"

* * *

Giles didn't know where he was, or rather he did, but he wasn't entirely aware of it. He was on a street, he knew that much, one of the darker and more dangerous in Sunnydale- if, for that matter, any street or alley in Sunnydale could be considered safe. He worried for a moment as the sun set, that he was reasonable prey to the many packs or single vampires roaming the town, then he realized with the power currently coursing through his veins, no matter how borrowed, made him more than a match for the evil undead. 

Then a third thought came into his mind- that he shouldn't use the majiks no matter what. Using so little so far had caused him to border on a dangerous edge. He tried to remember what he had done to Joyce, for some residual feeling told him something had happened, but every time he tried to focus on the memory and retain some clear image, his head throbbed in extreme pain from the effort of it all.

He rested against a stone wall, resting his head on the cool surface, a calming yet shocking contrast to the heat caused by the energy of the majiks. His mind whirled with images that wouldn't focus, ghosts that weren't quite dreams flitted through his mind as he closed his eyes, tempting his subconscious. He knew, he knew undoubtedly that he was being messed with here, toyed with, purposefully. Rack had known how bad he- how bad Ripper- had been over the majiks, how addicted. Rack also knew of the life Giles now led and had purposefully set to bring the two crashing together.

However, the more the majiks gained energy, gained power, gained control the less Giles seemed to care about that fact. He just wanted to use it, harness the energy.

Then, suddenly, the first clear sharp thought he'd had in hours shot through his mind, piercing his subconscious, shocking his eyes wide open as he was suddenly given the unquestionable knowledge that Buffy going to something very noble, yet very, very stupid.

* * *

"Xander, Anya- get everybody out of there when we go in," Buffy ordered, in full on Sergeant mode as she and the others were led by Willow to the place where she could sense Rack was in his cloaked room. "Tara, Willow- I need you to work the defensive spells. Try and keep Rack's spells from working, at least too well. I know you can't do much right now Will, but help Tara as much as possible, right?" 

"Sure," Willow nodded nervously as she came to a stop, having found the place.

"This is it?" Buffy asked, looking at the blank 'empty' space in front of her and again Willow nodded. Buffy turned to Spike, "Spike, you're with me"

"I am?" Spike was surprised by the double meaning in that sentence.

"Yeah, we're gonna be the ones to send Rack wherever the hell he came from." She took a deep breath, "Now let's go," And she stepped forward through the cloak, disappearing from sight and the others followed on.

* * *

"I knew you'd come," Rack grinned as he sensed Slayer, Strawberry and their friends walk into his place. He kept his back to them for a moment before turning around to face them, a calculating grin on his face, "Ripper having fun is he?" 

"He's probably having a better time of it than you are right now," Buffy replied, "Which is saying something"

"Come to fight me have you?" Rack asked in a tone that showed he highly doubted Buffy could.

"As a matter of fact..." Buffy said just before she spun around and delivered a powerful kick to Rack's jaw, sending him reeling. Immediately, he started summoning up the black majiks in response to fight back, but just before he sent it towards her, Tara held up a hand commandingly.

_"Pondero!"_

The majiks seemed to hit an invisible mirror and were reflected back at him. Rack ducked just in time to avoid them, but a moment later Spike charged him. He punched him, hard. But it seemed to cause Spike more pain than Rack as the vampire grabbed his head, crying out in extreme pain.

"I can't hit him!" Spike said to Buffy, "He's human!"

This clear reminder of this fact, caused Buffy to falter for a moment- could she really kill a human? Would she be any better than Faith, the Slayer who thought she was above the law?

* * *

Giles stumbled along the streets, sensing for Rack's place, going from alley to alley. Eventually he came across something, something hatefully familiar and he sighed in relief as he realized he had found Rack's. He knew Buffy and the others were inside also. He didn't know how he knew, but he did. Just as he knew he had to get to them. 

The moment he stepped through the cloak he saw what was going on. Anya, Xander and Spike weren't getting too involved in the fight for some reason, but Tara- with a little help from Willow- was casting enough spells to keep Rack's at bay, while Buffy essentially kicked the crap out of Rack, who right now, didn't look like he was faring too well. In fact, Buffy looked mere moments away from killing him. Giles couldn't let that happen, he couldn't. If she killed Rack, who was human no matter how corrupt, Giles would never get her back. Buffy would be gone completely. A murder, no matter if it's for the greater good, is something you never came back from. Giles knew that from his own dreadful experience. He couldn't let Buffy go through the same thing.

Buffy knocked Rack into a wall with an excellent roundhouse kick and he barely had the energy to stand up again. But he did, a look of determination in his eyes and Buffy readied herself for delivering the final blow. Which was when Rack began to smolder, flames licking around his palms and he convulsed, clearly in the deadliest of pain and all the others could do was look on in awed confusion. The flames spread through out till the Warlock was engulfed in them. Then, eventually, Rack let out a loud cry of pain, before he combusted completely, leaving nothing but ash behind and Buffy was able to see Giles stood there, the one clearly behind the flame spell.

The moment Rack was gone though, so were the majiks, and the speed at which they rushed away caused Giles to collapse on the floor.

"Giles, what did you do?" Buffy asked, looking back at the pile of Rack ash, as they all rushed over.

"What you shouldn't have to," He replied. He looked completely drained.

Buffy had no answer to that.

"Are you okay?" Willow asked, deeply concerned.

"You're not evil anymore?" Anya checked and Xander gave her a look.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," He told them as the previously fuzzy memories became clear and sharp in his mind. And he remembered what he had done to- "Oh god, Joyce. I can't believe I...God, how could I. What I did to her" He looked at Buffy as he said this and saw her expression was cold.

"I don't know," She answered honestly, "I really don't know how you could do that to her."

"I can't keep doing this to her," Giles said, almost to himself but the others listened to him anyway, "I can't keep..my past just keeps hurting her. Again. And again. Buffy, how can I ever make that alright?"

"I don't know if you can," She answered honestly, "But I'm not the one you have to ask,"

"I don't know if I can face her," Giles admitted and the group looked unnerved by this free admittance to Giles' feelings. He was usually so English and non sharey of feelings.

"Well, you're going to have to," Buffy told him simply, her expression betraying no emotion, "She's at home."

* * *

Giles pushed open the front door slowly, wondering for a brief moment why it didn't seem to make a sound. It was as silent as himself, the only sound to reach his ears being the sound of his own breathing. 

He closed the front door behind him before walking on into the hall and turning to look into the living room where he saw Joyce sat forward on the couch looking extremely agitated and worried. At the sound of his arrival she looked up, a look of hope in her eyes that quickly turned to relief when she saw he was back to his normal self. Relatively at least.

He stood there, not sure what to do. Feeling it wasn't right to go over to her after what he'd done. God, how many times must she go through things like this? How could she ever forgive him? She shouldn't.

Joyce got up off the sofa and rushed over to him, looking at him as though to really check it was him again. Once she saw it was, a familiar expression and not a stranger's face looking back at her, she breathed a sigh of relief and hugged him tightly.

"Oh thank God, Rupert," She told him, still holding onto him tightly, "I was so worried"

He initially didn't know how to respond. After all he'd done, put her through, here she was holding onto him tightly without a grudge in the world. The feel of her arms around him, her head leant against his chest, was ecstasy to him. But he didn't believe he deserved this, he'd done so many unforgivable things, and he tried not to respond to the embrace, but it was so difficult. He reached a hand up to her, running his fingers lovingly through her hair and she pulled her head away from him to look up at him.

He saw the bruise. It was awful. Deep, and purple and black and big and spread out over her right cheek. God, he'd put that there. Worse still, he remembered putting it there.

"Oh god, Joyce I-" He brushed the bruise slightly with his fingertips and she flinched slightly, that small amount of contact obviously causing her pain and he felt as though he were being pierced in the gut. How could he have hurt her so badly? Majiks or no, he should have been able to control himself that much, "I'm so sorry, how could- I-"

She shushed him gently and lovingly.

"It's okay," She told him quietly, "It wasn't really you"

"Yes, yes it was," Giles argued sadly, "And that's what makes this all so much worse."

"Rupert," Joyce said simply, but he didn't look at her, so she repeated his name, leaning forward slightly so she was looking into his eyes, which were making sorry attempts to avoid her gaze, "Rupert, we all do things we're not proud of, more so in our lives and with what that entails. What matters is you didn't, you didn't mean to, I know you would never..never...I'm just glad, you don't know how relieved I am you're okay"

He finally raised his head, looking at her finally, but he nearly shamefully dropped his gaze again when the first thing he saw was the dark blemish on her face that he had put there. Joyce immediately saw his expression and knew what he was thinking, so she put her hand in his, pulling him down gently to sit on the sofa with her.

"I'm not going to lie," She told him, "It hurt. A lot. Both mentally and physically." Rupert looked pained by this acknowledgment, but Joyce continued, "And I know we've, we've sort of been here before and it scared me then. And I was just as scared this time... for you" He looked at her in confused surprise and Joyce took it as encouragement to carry on. "I've been married to you nearly a year, loved you longer than that, and known you for an even longer amount of time. I've seen the bad sides of you, and they haven't, they uh...they haven't been pretty, but I've seen all the good sides too and I know how much you..." She sighed, slightly frustrated at herself as she struggled to bring words to her jumbled thoughts, "I know those erm 'bad sides' are always going to be there, always going to be a part of you," Rupert looked deeply saddened by this notion, but Joyce was finished, "But I also know that it _isn't_ you anymore. This is you. I know that as much as I know that what happened today wasn't your fault-" Rupert went to protest, but she spoke over him, "You can guilt trip yourself as much as you like, in my opinion, this wasn't your fault...and so something that isn't your fault doesn't require my forgiveness, because there's nothing to forgive"

Rupert took a moment to take in all of what Joyce had just said. He couldn't actually believe the words. Four years ago, Joyce had had terrible, deep rooted problems with the revelation that Buffy was the Vampire Slayer, doomed to lead the life of the world's savior and all the danger it entailed. And even as she had struggled through the year, learning more and more about Buffy's calling, she still hadn't been happy with the situation at all, even if she had finally come to accept. Yet here she was, showing Rupert she understood more than most ever could. More than he did in fact, he had come to believe. She had seen, felt what he could do when he was at his worst, or almost worst, and she had accepted it, reasoned with it and essentially forgiven him completely without a moment's thought.

He realized he was staring silently at her and she smiled nervously at him.

"That would be your cue to tell me I'm an amazing woman," She joked uncomfortably.

"I don't believe 'amazing' covers it," He told her with such deep sincerity it caused her to blush, "I love you" He told her simply.

"I love you too," She instantly replied with a smile, kissing him softly for a moment but cuddling up to him, forcing him to sit back on the couch with her. As he put his arm around Joyce, Rupert felt this was better than any voiced words of forgiveness.

But something niggled in the back of his mind. Okay, so she had forgiven him, but could he forgive himself? He reached for her hand, which she readily gave, their finger entwining. He saw the light red bruising and raw skin there. He remembered grabbing her wrist roughly when she had threatened to call Buffy. If he had given in any further to Ripper, who had been bubbling beneath the surface, he would have beaten the crap out of her. If this couldn't be called beating the crap out of her anyway.

She was a strong woman, Joyce, but what on earth had he brought to her life to make it easier? He'd brought her nothing more trouble, more worries, more dangers. Was there one good thing he had given her?

Joyce giggled slightly suddenly, breaking Rupert's chain of though and he looked down at her questioningly.

"She moved," She told him, sitting up, "It was only a little, but, but she moved"

"What?" Giles frowned, sitting up also.

"Lily," Joyce explained, "She moved. That's why...it tickled and-" She took hold of Rupert's hand, "I don't know whether you'll be able to feel it, it was only a little and it is early, but..." She placed his hand on her abdomen beneath her top, upon the bare skin.

* * *

Willow was sat on the bed in Tara's dorm. Tara was there also of course, but she was stood. 

"He just had _so_ much magic, so much _bad_ magic in him," Willow was saying, lost deep in thought, "And I know he hurt Joyce...but he didn't, he didn't go all crazy demon summony. He was able to control it." She looked up at Tara, "And I don't know how he possibly could. I've had less of the majiks in me than that and _I _wasn't able to control it, so how could he- with so much?"

Tara sighed and took a seat beside Willow on the bed.

"Willow, you've been stronger than you think. You're trying to beat it, you _are_ beating it. You're willing to do this training, even though I can sen- I know how frustratingly slow it must be for you. But you're doing it,"

Tara's words were so heartfelt and earnest that Willow couldn't help but smile.

"I just, that control he had," Willow said, "It just showed...well, he's got further along on this whole Just Say No thing than he let's on. To be able to control it, to not let it...I, I don't wanna be taught by him anymore," She looked at Tara, "I wanna learn from him"

Tara smiled warmly at the red head.

"See," She grinned, leaning in close as though sharing a secret, "Stronger than you think"

"Like an amazon..." Willow smiled nervously, uber conscious of how close Tara's lips were to hers right now.

"Yes." Tara nodded, "Like an amazon..."

It wasn't planned. By either of them. At all. Not even thought about till the last moment. That moment Tara's lips were upon Willow's and the two were kissing.


	20. Dead Things

Ooh yay, much reviewyness- me like! Teehee.

g120- Yes, it's true; Giles Guilt is normalcy. Hehe. And come on, I _had_ to have Will and Tara back together, hehe. Thanks for the review.

Abryixis- You were afraid to read the chapter? Wow. And yeah, I know Ripper was mundo badness here. And I know, I do angst you guys up till you canne take no more, but as much a fan of the happy endings as the next person. My realist and my romantic side meet. Hehe. Hope you like this chapter (There's some Dawn angst though...hehe) Thanks for the review.

Rabidreject- Thank you for review. Here est le next chapter (duh...)

Zigpal- Yay- my claps. And yes, Tillowness, but you're right. Dawn has the issues. But Buffy also has herself a subscription...

* * *

The sun had set, well almost anyway as there was still some traces of orange sunlight straining through the kitchen window, when Buffy came into the kitchen, looking for something snackable before she headed out on patrol. 

"Hi, hon," Joyce greeted her, "You, uh, you want me to fix you something?"

"No, I'm two for two," Buffy replied, grabbing an energy bar out of the cupboard and a bottle of water out of the fridge, "This'll do,"

"Who are- are you patrolling with anyone tonight?" Joyce almost stumbled over the word 'patrolling' and Buffy felt weirdly disorientated as she felt like she was back in the beginning of her senior year at high school. When her Mom had only just found out about her being the Slayer and had been pretending to be okay with it by offering to make her four course snacks and asking about which friends she was taking patrolling. Oddly enough, Buffy found this feeling comforting. It took her back to a much simpler time, though damned if she had actually thought it to be simple when she was living it. High school on a Hellmouth made for a complicated life.

"No, not really," Buffy replied, "I'll probably just hit a few cemeteries. It's been pretty slow this week. Even the geeks of three have gone into the uber hide" Joyce looked uncomfortable by this and Buffy hurried to reassure her. "Look, I'm sure I can handle a couple of nerds"

"That's not..." Joyce sighed, "You're going to take Spike on patrol aren't you? Or you're going to see him"

"Yeah, probably..." Buffy admitted, "I mean he is pretty much of the help worthy on the demon-fighting front"

Joyce grabbed an empty glass off the island and turned around to wash it in the sink, and she stayed with her back to Buffy as she asked her next, uncomfortable question.

"Are you still sleeping with him?"

There was a silence, an awkward one, as Buffy contemplated how to answer. Eventually she said tightly:

"Yes"

Joyce sighed and turned to face her daughter and Buffy hurried to defend her answer.

"But it's fine, I mean it's not like he's forcing...well, it's not-"

"Buffy," Joyce cut into Buffy's babble, "I know you're going through...some difficulties...right now, but I don't think that having," She sighed uncomfortably, "I don't think that that sort of relationship with Spike is the healthiest thing for you right now. Friendship yes, I think Spike has the ability to be a very good friend, but...I know he has that government chip implanted, but he still has violent tendencies and couldn't a...uh, a...sexual relationship with him be bad? For both of you"

"Mom, it's fine," Buffy said firmly, get a bit more defensive than she intended, "I can make my own decisions. And right now, this is what I'm deciding. It's what I want"

"But is it really?" Joyce countered, throwing Buffy off, "You don't seem to have any idea of what you want lately. So how can you possibly know that _this_ is what you want. How?"

"Mom, I-"

"I'm sorry," Joyce sighed again, "It's just...after everything that happened with Angel...I just thought that you would show better judgment. Instead of, instead of repeating the same mistakes"

That stung Buffy and feeling hurt by the comment, she immediately went on the defense. How could her Mom say that?

"Well maybe it isn't the best relationship, Lord knows I never picked _him, _but I'm sorry Mom, it's just I find it kinda hard to take you seriously over your concerns about a 'dangerous or _violent_ relationship' when _you're_ sporting a bruise the size of L.A. And the man who put it there is sat comfortably in the next room"

Buffy hadn't shouted, but the violent emotion in her words made it seem as though she did. Without waiting for her Mother's attempt at a reply, Buffy snatched her bottle of water off the side and stormed out, slamming the kitchen door behind her.

Joyce sank into a seat at the island with a world-weary sigh. Buffy had been off about her forgiving Rupert ever since nearly two weeks ago when it had all happened. Dawn was just as bad. The two of them didn't seem to understand the complication of the situation.

"What was that?" Giles asked, coming into the kitchen after hearing the loud slamming noise caused by Buffy storming out.

"Oh just...just some unresolved issues," Joyce replied with a small, weak smile.

* * *

Spike leaned over from underneath the rug where both he and Buffy lay naked, to grab something and Buffy waited with anticipation to see what it was. When he leaned back to her with a grin, a pair of silver handcuffs dangled from his hand. 

"Who do you think I am? My Mother?" Buffy asked automatically, but while Spike raised an intrigued eyebrow at this comment, Buffy covered her mouth with her hands in horrified shock. "Oh god, why did I say that?"

"No idea love," Spike replied, "But when I held out the handcuffs the last thing I expected you to say was something about your Mum. Problems at Casa de Kinky eh?"

Buffy gave him a look of utter disgust at that comment.

"You started it," He reminded her, "So what _is_ up?"

"Nothing," Buffy automatically replied.

"Well, something must be," Spike reasoned, "For you to say something like that." His eyes widened suddenly as he came to a possible realization, "You, uh, you didn't catch em...at it did ya?"

"What? Ew, no, gross Spike!" Buffy instantly replied, "No it's...you remember what had happened the other week? With Giles?" She prompted and Spike nodded, "Well, even after, after everything that had happened and what he did to her- I mean, you haven't seen Mom's bruise when it isn't caked in foundation and concealer, i-it's just- it's_ really_ bad. But even after that, Mom just forgave Giles straight away, without a second thought"

"And...?" Spike prompted, not really getting the point of Buffy's mini-rant.

_"And _that's not how it should have gone!"

"You think she should hold a grudge against him?" Spike asked.

"No,"

"So she should forgive him then"

"Well, no..."

"So you _do _think she should hold a grudge"

"Spike, stop that," Buffy told him firmly, "I don't, I don't want her to hold a grudge against him...not really, but I don't _understand _why she forgave him so readily. After everything he did."

"Well technically pet it wasn't his fault," Spike reasoned and Buffy squirmed uncomfortably.

"That's what Mom said," She told him reluctantly..

"Sounds like your Mum's the only who's got a clue about anything around here" Spike half-murmured, but Buffy still heard it just as she heard the implying tone in his words.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She confronted him and Spike just sighed in frustration.

"Nothing," He told her, tossing the handcuffs aside, "Shouldn't you be running off right about now? Returning to friendship grounds and all that. Want to keep that virtue in tact after all"

* * *

As Joyce arrived home from the galley, completely exhausted, she heard the sound of waltz music pouring out the open window in her living room. She frowned in confusion, pushing the door open to see and find out why a piece from _Sleeping Beauty_ was playing in a house where both teenage daughters deemed anything older than New Kids on the Block unlistenable. 

The sight she saw had been no where on the Attempted Guesses list. Xander was waltzing dramatically around the room with Dawn, complete with twirls and swirls and Tara and Willow were almost matching them for dance moves. Anya and Buffy were sat on the sofa watching the scene with wide, amused grins on their faces, while Giles was sat on the chair alone, looking very, very lost.

"Did I miss something?" Joyce laughed as she closed the front door and walked into the living room.

"We're teaching Dawn synchronized dance moves for the wedding," Anya supplied the answer with an eager grin.

As she realized her Mom was home, Dawn immediately stopped dancing and pulled away from Xander, the smile long gone from her expression. She stalked out of the room, grabbed a hold of her backpack and stood in the hall waiting for-

_BEEP!_

- the sound of a car horn being honked.

"I'm off to Janice's," Dawn announced, without a smile in her Mom's direction or the patience to wait for a goodbye.

Joyce went to protest due to the fact last time Dawn had suddenly announced she was going over to Janice's, she had in fact been roaming the streets with vampires. However, before she could get a word out, Buffy spoke over her.

"It's okay. I checked. She_ is_ going to Janice's"

That settled, Dawn left, sparing a moment to throw an reproving look in her mother's direction.

"Well,that decidedly killed the mood," Anya grumbled once Dawn shut the door behind her.

"Alright," Giles said, walking over to Joyce to give her silent support "I do understand entirely why Dawn is unhappy with me, but I'm not sure I comprehend why you're getting the cold shoulder,"

"Because I forgave you," Joyce sighed, understanding completely even if she didn't get it.

"Well, you can't blame her," Buffy couldn't stop herself from saying, and immediately regretted it when everyone turned to look at her. She then had no choice but to carry on and explain her comment, "It's just- you two act like nothing happened. When a big, big something happened. We were all there. I mean did he tell you how he killed that Rack guy? Did he?"

"Yes," Joyce nodded, her tone serious and somber. Buffy was completely thrown.

"And knowing that you still...God I can't believe you" Buffy shook her head in complete disbelief, "I love you...I love you both. But I just don't understand how you can forgive him straight away like that, without a second thought"

"I just want to be happy," Joyce murmured.

"What?"

"Buffy, after everything that goes on around here, one tragedy after another, nothing but loss and pain and..." Joyce struggled through an explanation, "and it's all...I just want to jump past the stages we've been through time and time again. I just want to be happy." She looked at Buffy earnestly, as though pleading for her to understand, even just a little bit, "Is there really anything wrong with that?"

Buffy didn't know how to reply. She didn't want to deny her Mom the right to happiness. And wasn't that what she, Buffy, was doing with Spike? When friendship no longer seemed to do, she'd forget all the rules and straddle him just to feel something. Some semblance of happiness.

"We were just talking about going to the Bronze," Willow broke into the intimate and uncomfortable silence, "Anyone wanna come and get unwindy?"

"Well I've still got my dancing boots on," Xander told them, putting an arm around Anya so he was including them both in the yes vote.

"Well, I think I'm for it," Buffy agreed in a way that could have done with a little more enthusiasm, but no one commented on the fact.

Willow, Tara and the others then looked at Giles and Joyce expectantly for an answer and the couple shook their heads.

"As much as I'm sure we wouldn't entirely look like sore thumbs at The Bronze,"Giles reasoned, "I think we will opt to remain here"

"You guys go," Joyce told them, "Have fun"

"Fine," Xander smiled as though trying to convince them it was a bad decision not to go, "But you're going to miss our groove thing..."

"Tragic, I'm sure" Giles commented satirically once the group had exited, leaving him and Joyce alone in the house for once. He noticed however that Joyce didn't even smile at his comment, she was just looking at the door the group had just exited, with a worried expression, "What's wrong?"

"Dawn," Joyce said simply, "It's just...I'm worried about her"

"Worried?"

"Lately she...she seems to be spending more time at Janice's than she does at home" Joyce pointed out, "It's...I don't know. I'm just worried that maybe she feels...like maybe," She sighed a frustrated sigh, "I really don't know- I just worry she's unhappy. What with Tara and Willow together again they seem to be focusing more on one another than Dawn, and Buffy's getting back into the swing of college so she hasn't got as much time for her sister. Xander and Anya are busy organizing the wedding and we're wrapped up in work or Lily. I'm worried she's feeling, I don't know, neglected? Maybe that's why she's spending so much time at Janice's..."

"You worry too much, you know that?" Rupert said, slipping his arms around her.

"I know, but it's a Mother's duty" Joyce smiled a small smile, "To worry and to be quietly stressed and fussed-"

"And lest we forget your scatterbrained nature in the morning," Rupert added with a smile of his own.

"Very funny," She told him, sounding good-naturedly sarcastic.

"I thought so," Rupert said, before kissing her softly on the lips. When he pulled away her smile was even wider and even warmer.

"It's amazing what that can do for stress," She half joked.

"Really?" He laughed slightly before kissing her again and all worries over Dawn, for now, left Joyce's mind.

* * *

The morning light was pouring through the kitchen window in a morning-cheer sort of way. The moment Dawn walked into the room, however, the morning cheer seemed to immediately become a morning cloud. 

"Morning hon, did uh did Janice's Mom just drop you off? I didn't hear her," Joyce asked, sounding falsely cheery in an attempt to ride over her daughter's bad mood.

"Just now. On her way to work" Dawn told her, not sounding particularly happy about giving her Mom this information.

"Oh," Joyce refused to let Dawn's attitude deter her, "So uh you want some breakfast? I can make pancakes" She smiled winningly.

"No thanks," Dawn shook her head, "I ate at Janice's"

"Oh. Right," Joyce hid her disappointment. It was ridiculous to feel disappointed over something so trivial, but she was, "Well, I'm, well, that's okay"

"Good," Dawn nodded as though something had been decided between them, "It's okay if I go upstairs? I've got homework"

"Erm, sure,"Joyce nodded, though it was on the tip of her tongue to say 'no sit. You're not going anywhere till we've had a little mother-daughter psychoanalysis'.

"'Kay," Dawn nodded, and walked out of the kitchen. As she reached the doorway to the dining room, her Mom called out to her.

"Er, Dawn?"

"Yeah?" Dawn turned around willingly, though she barely looked happy or comfortable about it.

"Are you okay?" Joyce asked her, wary of how asking something too specific could set off Dawn's hyperactive teenager emotions.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Dawn told her, but neither she nor her Mother looked very convinced by this proclamation of fineness.

"It's just...you seem..." Joyce seemed to have second thoughts over what she was going to say, and she changed her direction mid-question, "You're sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Dawn nodded, sounding even less convincing than before, "Look, I've got homework Mom"

And before Joyce could ask even half of one more question, Dawn had rushed off up the stairs.

* * *

Night had fallen and Dawn had not moved from her room all day except to occasionally wander down for some food or a drink. She knew on some level she was being stupid and childish. And she'd spent half her life trying to convince people she wasn't a child. 

It was just, Dawn could not, would not, forgive Giles for what he did to her Mom. And because of that she didn't want her Mom forgiving him either. But she had. And Dawn just didn't get it. It was stupid and not right. And...maybe she was being childish.

But lately, she simply hadn't been in the mood to be mature. After all, no one else was being mature enough to even notice what was going on in her life. All too busy with themselves. They hadn't even noticed her stealing. And that's why she'd been doing it; just to see if they _would_ notice. And they hadn't. Not one bit. Hadn't her Mom wondered where all these new clothes were coming from? Or perhaps she just chose to assume she'd forgotten Dawn had them. That was the easier option.

Or maybe Dawn was just getting paranoid in her old age. Maybe that wasn't the case at all. Maybe she could go downstairs, see her Mom, and have a heartfelt Mom talk. The kind they hadn't in a while.

Yes. She was going to be the mature one and do just that.

As she reached the stairs at the end of the landing, she could hear the sound of music pouring up. The sound of a big band and then words pouring along to join it.

_Hey sonny where'd you...the gentlemen con, we just wanna know!_

Curious, Dawn headed slowly down the stairs and as the music got louder as the distance closed, she heard the sound of laughter mixed with it. Her Mom's laughter to be exact.

"You do know Xander's going to want his CD back," Dawn heard Mom say, life in her voice.

"He left it behind, he can come retrieve it," Giles replied, an equally lively tone to his voice.

_Hey sonny, where you been? What about Vegas with a fifth of gin?_

Stepping down off the bottom step so the living room was in her line of vision, Dawn saw Giles showing off some swingin' dancin' moves as he swung her mother round 50s style. Dawn's first thought was- her Mom was pregnant so should she really be doing that? Her second thought was- well, guess they aren't too bothered about how I'm feeling after all. They weren't exactly dwelling on the matter as Dawn highly doubted this was how they were dealing.

Joyce giggled, a little high from the dancing, as Rupert dipped her back quickly and dramatically and as her head fell back, she saw Dawn stood there at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hi honey," She smiled as Rupert pulled her back up to a standing position gracefully. "Did you-"

"Just getting a drink," Dawn forced a smile as she pointed in the direction of the kitchen. She walked off before her Mom could ask any further questions. She noticed that they didn't turn off the music.

* * *

It was the middle of the night, well middle of the early morning really, a dark and silent time. Usually. This particular night there was a persistent banging noise on the outer wall which woke both Joyce and Giles from their slumber. 

"What is that bloody racket?" Giles grumbled, determined not to be completely awoken by the noise.

"I don't know," Joyce answer, designating herself the one to actually get out of bed and look out of the window for the source of the 'racket'. Unconvinced by what she saw and not trusting her own eyes, Joyce pushed up the sash frame and leaned out the window, "Spike?"

"Spike?!" Giles repeated in shocked distaste, fully awake now at the announcement of the presence of the vampire.

"What are you doing?" Joyce asked Spike, ignoring Rupert for now.

"Buffy, don't...bloody locked the window," Spike, who was half way up the wall of 1630 Revello Drive, his fingers digging in tightly to the gaps in the bricks, half mumbled to himself, but at the sound of Joyce saying his name, he started, "What? Argh. Hello, Joyce"

"Hello... what are you doing?" Joyce asked again.

"Erm...just around..." Spike replied, trying to sound nonchalant but since he was swinging off the side of the house, this was an impossible thing to achieve.

"Around...?" Joyce asked sceptically, "Around the side of my house?"

Spike had no quick witted answer for that question and Joyce was immediately even more suspicious than before.

"Are you trying to get into her bedroom...?"

"What?" Spike's eyes went wider than could ever have been thought possible, "No. Why the hell would I wanna do that?"

"I.." Joyce reducedher voice to a loud whisper that only Spike could hear and so Rupert couldn't eavesdrop, "I know about you two...and, and what you've been...you know"

"You kn-" Spike rolled his eyes with a wince, "Oh balls... Just let me in would ya? She's locked the window and she's about to do something very stupid"

"Stupid?" Joyce frowned, "What do you mean? What's going on? Has something happened to Buffy?"

"Look, I may be a vampire but hanging onto a brick wall is still hell on the matrix so let me in now, explain later eh?"

"You know what the matrix is?" Joyce asked with skeptical confusion as she let Spike in through the window, much to Giles' chagrin.

"I ate a nail tech once," Spike shrugged, "On holiday with Dru. Maybe something stuck"

"You'd better have a damned good reason for being here, Spike," Giles warned him, but the vampire was already exiting the bedroom.

"I do alright?" Was all he said as he ran out of the door in search of the Slayer, "Buffy? Buffy? Don't go there!"

Joyce and Rupert looked at one another as though to ask 'go where', before they followed Spike on.

They found him at the bottom stairs, having just stopped Buffy from exiting through the front door. The two were clearly fighting.

"Spike, I have to do this" Buffy was saying, "It's the right thing to do"

"For who Buffy, eh? For who?" Spike challenged her, "Things aren't going to get easier for you just because you're behind bars. Cutting off the world doesn't work that way"

"Behind bars?" Joyce frowned, "I don't- Buffy, what's going on? What has jail to do with any of it? Are you in trouble with the police?"

Rupert put a hand on Joyce's shoulder calmingly, gently stopping her from asking so many questions in quick succession that Buffy couldn't possibly answer any of them.

"Buffy," Giles used his calm, in-control, Watcher voice, "What is the matter?"

"Nothing," She automatically replied, before debating her own answer, "Something...I don't know" She took a deep breath, "Tonight I, I killed a girl"

Both Giles and Joyce were shocked into silence.

"Buffy..."

"No," Spike shook his head, "It's not as black and white as that- demons in the woods, time going wonky. Buffy, we can't even be sure it _was _you that killed her"

"Time was going awry?" Giles asked, trying to get over his own shock at hearing Buffy had killed a person- no matter how accidentally- and bring some focus to the conversation.

"Uh-huh," Buffy nodded sadly, looking incredibly lost.

"Well it is possible the demons you came across were from the Rwasundi tribe," Giles surmised,"Their presence on our plane causing such jerks in time"

"It doesn't matter," Buffy shook her head sadly, "I still killed that girl"

"Going to the police won't change that," Spike countered, "You're not throwing your life away over this"

"It's not your choice," Buffy told him, trying to sound firm, but the tears in her eyes made it hard to do so.

"You were going to hand yourself over to the police," Joyce realized, slight anger creeping into her voice "Now- while we were all asleep...you were just going to _leave _without telling us...none of us knowing. We would have just woke up and you wouldn't be there. Buffy how-"

"I don't know okay!" Buffy told, bordering on hysterical as emotions mounted, "I don't know. Everything's...It's the right thing to do! I _have _to go"

"What's going on?" Dawn, having been awoke by the raised voice, asked sleepily as she walked down the top few stairs.

"Nothing, sweetheart," Joyce told her, "It's okay- just go back to bed"

For a moment it looked like Dawn was going to argue to stay, but then she turned around and slowly head up the stairs, back to the bedroom.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" Spike asked Buffy once her sister had returned to her room.

"A girl is dead because of me," Buffy replied, sounding disgusted with herself.

"And how many are alive because of you?" Spike countered, grabbing hold of her shoulders, "How many have you saved? One dead girl doesn't tip the scale"

"That's all she is to you, isn't she? Another body?"

"I-"

"Let go!"Buffy shouted, as all her guilt and rage exploded and she started pounding into Spike's chest.

"Buffy!" Joyce exclaimed, "Stop that!"

Buffy carried on going though till Spike was barely standing and she could go on no more. She collapsed in Spike's arms, all of her anger just leaving her, leaving her drained.

"Now, Watcher here is goin to research it tomorrow," Spike told her, his voice no longer challenging but calm instead, "And we are goin to find out what exactly happened. _Then _we will decide what to do, okay?"

Buffy nodded, as right now she seemed incapable of any greater action.

Joyce and Rupert, however, could only be stunned by how sentimental Spike was being. The relationship between Buffy and Spike went deeper than either of them knew, perhaps more than Spike and Buffy knew also. It was throwing for Giles most of all though as he wondered why Spike was kissing the top of Buffy's head and more to the point, why Buffy was letting him.

* * *

"According to this, they place Katrina's death almost a full day before you saw her in the woods," Xander paraphrased straight from the newspaper when the entire group, minus Spike, were gathered in the Magic Box the very next day.

"See, you didn't do it Buffy," Joyce confirmed, smiling warmly at her daughter.

"Right," Buffy smiled slightly, before becoming all Slaying Business again, "But this girl- her name was Katrina?"

"Yes, a, uh, Katrina Silber," Giles told her, reading from his own newspaper.

"When I first came across Warren- when he made that robot girl like a year ago?"Buffy told them all, "He had a girlfriend named Katrina. It can't be just coincidence"

"Really?" Giles asked, "Well, that make things marginally clearer"

"But are we sure?"Willow asked, "I mean, are we sure Warren's involved with this particular Katrina?"

"No," Tara shook her head, "Buffy's right- this can't be just coincidence"

"So you were just going to run away again?" Dawn suddenly asked Buffy, and everyone turned around to look at her.

"Not exactly, Dawn," Buffy replied, "It was complicated," She told her, taking a step toward her sister, but Dawn backed away and ran into the back room. Not even Joyce knew whether to follow on after her, or whether for now, she'd be better alone. "Right," Buffy said, trying to cover up how much Dawn's running off had hurt her, "We need to find Warren and the others. Whatever they've done they are _not_ going to get away with it"


	21. Older and Far Away

g120- oui, full of the intrigue. Hehe. And I'm really touched/glad/many other ego-boosty things that you thought Buffy's confession plans were more touching the cocorific way. And yah, Buffy is messed up- poor Buffy, but she gets a lot better in this chapter. With the laughter and the like. Thank you for the review. :-)

zigpal- yay, my claps. teehee. Thank you for the review, and well, there will be LOTS of changes in the later episodes to come. Lots and lots and...okay, I'm done.

Rabidreject- thanks for the review, I'm really glad you liked the chapter so much. You guys always seem to like the chapters I feel iffy about haha. And you'll soon find out what the big bad is and as for who will die, I will say that at least two people will die in the final chapters, but I am not revealing who. However, I will also say that I love Tara too much to be cruel to be kind. And ooh that good writer comment...beware there, you inflated my writing ego to a dangerous size...hehe. Hope you like this chapteryness.

Sorry it took so long to update guys, but you know what college people are like. They're all over with the essays and the homewotk and the lets make sure the students don't have a social life.

* * *

The sun was just beginning to disappear over the horizon when Dawn finally reached her front door after walking home from school. There was a slight January chill in the air that while it hadn't convinced Dawn to put on a coat in the morning, it did make her pull her small shrug a little tighter. Opening the door, she stepped into the comfortable warmness of her home. 

"Mom?" She called out, seeing if she was the first home, "Mom?" She walked into the kitchen. The kitchen that was presently filled with crates, "The kitchen is usually...more kitcheny than this"

"Hmm?" Joyce looked up from a pile of papers she'd been absorbed in and finally noticed Dawn had arrived home, "Oh hi hon. How, uh, how was school?" She asked, but while she waited for an answer she picked up a ballpoint pen and returned her visual attention to the papers.

"It was okay," Dawn shrugged, trying to move past the boxes to get a drink out of the fridge, "Except for, you know, the learning part"

"Uh-huh," Joyce nodded, ticking something off on the top paper and clearly not focusing her attention on what Dawn was saying. Dawn attempted to work past this, forced herself even.

"So, it's Buffy's birthday tomorrow," She started a new topic and this one actually got her Mother's attention, at least partially for she did at least look up from the papers.

"Oh yes. Anya's insisting on having a party. Here. And organizing it. Here." Joyce said in a way that suggested she didn't completely trust Anya with this task, as though she expected her to organize male strippers or something equally random and horrifying for the birthday party.

"Well, I'm kinda empty handed on the gift front," Dawn admitted, "So I was wondering whether you wanted to go to the mall and help me pick presents. You know like in an hour or so?"

"What? Oh you should have told me sooner," Joyce said with a sigh, "I can't go tonight. I have all this inventory to go through for the show. And I need to get it done by tomorrow. Couldn't you get one of the others to take you? I mean, I know Buffy's going on patrol, but maybe Tara maybe? Or Anya?"

* * *

Later on, Dawn returned home from the mall. She had gone alone. She'd gone to see if the others were available but Giles, Willow and Tara were working on Willow's training, Anya was working at the shop and Xander had been working hard at the planning the shift schedule for his guys at work. So she had gone alone. 

And now, she had to sneak into the house to make sure no one heard her return. For if they came to see her, to greet her they would see that the discount she had been using had been of the five finger variety.

Stepping quietly into the kitchen from the back entrance she closed the back door slowly and silently, before creeping along the dining room, into the hall and then up the stairs ever so slowly, making sure to miss the fifth stair which always creaked in a give-away sense.

Finally reaching her room, she sighed in relief as she closed her bedroom door behind her as quietly as possible, wincing when she heard the sound of the wood door pushing against the friction of the carpet.

But she was safe now. She was in her room. And no one had found her out. She headed over to her bed and emptied the stolen contents of her pocket onto the sunshine yellow duvet. The pockets were stolen as well, as were the coat they belonged to. It was Buffy's birthday present. A beautiful black leather coat. She'd love it. Dawn just knew it. Her present would be the best.

* * *

"Is there a chemical leak in here?" Buffy asked as she sniffed the air, walking into the kitchen. 

"One would presume so, yes," Giles replied, equally offended by the smell.

"Anya's making hors d'oeuvres," Xander explained, pointing out his fiancée, "And your Mom is trying to stop her," He pointed out Joyce, who was indeed trying to stop Anya from making an hors d'oeuvre almost entirely out of mayonnaise.

"You just don't want me to cook," Anya protested, snatching her tray of not-yet-cooked hors d'oeuvres back and opening the oven.

"No, you can cook Anya, you can. Just not..._that," _Joyce closed the oven door again.

"Stop being so...so kitchen possessivey," Anya told her firmly.

"I am not-"

"Being pregnant is making you not appreciate a highly cultured starter. Clearly," Anya continued, "I've read about how pregnancy hormones can effect women's tastes and appetites. If you weren't all busy being pregnant you would _know_ that these," She gestured at the hors d'oeuvres, "are just fine"

"Anya," Joyce said patiently, thought it was obviously coming to it's end, "I'm pregnant. Not stupid"

Anya opened her mouth in pure silent shock, before looking to Xander for support.

"Xander, tell her."

Not to be out done, Joyce turned to her husband for support also.

"Rupert"

At the sight of both Anya and Joyce looking for support from an equally cornered looking Giles and Xander, Buffy burst out laughing. This caused the two couple to look over at her in reserved shock. Buffy had been coping, even getting along, in recent months but this was the first time since she had been brought back that they actually heard her laugh. Like really laugh. It was something they all found great to see and even greater to hear.

"I'm sorry," Buffy apologized with a smile, clearing her throat to break her laughter, "It's just erm- ahem- please uh, continue"

"It's long past anyway," Anya informed her just as she shut the oven door on the tray of hors d'oeuvres and Joyce sighed in exasperated defeat.

"So who's coming tonight, Buff?" Xander asked.

"Just you guys, Willow, Tara...Spike I guess... and ooh- Sophie from college" Buffy told them

"Spike?!"Giles choked out just as Xander raised an eyebrow and asked "_Sophie _from college...?"

"Yes, Spike," Buffy nodded, "He's part of the gang... sort of. And yes, Xander, Sophie from College. What? You think I'm like one of those losers who can't make friends outside her tight little circle? No, I'm very friendly. We bonded right away. Peas in a pod"

"That's lovely, sweetheart," Joyce smiled, trying not to be _too_ patronizing, but Anya just went for the obvious approach.

"Really?" She asked Buffy, sounding very unconvinced, "What's Sophie's last name?"

Buffy didn't have the answer.

"Okay, shut up"

"I'm still rather flummoxed over something," Giles admitted, "You say you invited Spike? Why on Earth would you invite him when he clearly-"

Buffy started look uncomfortable and a little unhappy, so Joyce took a hold of Rupert's arm and led him out of the kitchen.

"Come on, we need to check on...something," Improvisation wasn't particularly Joyce's strong skill. As the two left the room, they heard Anya and Xander confessing to Buffy about someone they had invited along to the party for her to meet. Joyce strongly suspected it was a guy someone in which case she was very happy about the spontaneous invite. True, she liked Spike and had no cause to hate him, but while she thought Spike could be very supportive for Buffy right now she _definitely _wasn't fond of their well, unconventional relationship, so maybe interest in another, _human_ guy would help bring a stop to that madness.

"Joyce, what," Giles seemed to have ran out of interrogatives as she took him up the stairs out of earshot of the rest of the group, "Why does Buffy keep...why is Spike always _here_?"

Joyce sighed as she pointed for Rupert to go into the bedroom. She followed on, closing the door behind her.

"Rupert, now I'm going to tell you something, _but_ only if you promise to not act over dramatically and over the top"

"Why would I over-react?" Rupert frowned and Joyce decided to come out and say it, even though she had promised Buffy she would tell no one.

"Buffy has...well, she's been having a less than conventional relationship...with Spike"

"What?"

"She's been, well, he's been there for her yes, I suppose, but then I think it began to lead from one thing to another and then well, we all know how Spike feels about her, or how he says he feels about her..." Joyce seemed to almost be talking to herself now as though arguing the point to her other half and Rupert brought her to a stop.

"What? Wait, just, stop uh stop talking. What are you saying is going on between Buffy and Spike?"

"They're uh...they're sleeping together..."

"_WHAT?!"_

"Shhh!" Joyce hurried to quiet him, "I told you not to over-react,"

"Well, how do you bloody expect me to react?" Giles retorted, "She's been sleeping with... how long have you known?"

"Just a month...or two,"

"A month?" Giles struggled to keep his voice non-shouty.

"Or two..." Joyce added again, "Look, she's not even sure what it all means. But right now, it just- okay, I don't know what the details are exactly and to be quite honest, I don't want to know them-"

"Why didn't she tell me?"

Rupert's question threw Joyce off completely.

"What?"

"She didn't tell me. Why not?" Giles repeated his question, "I always thought she'd be comfortable enough to come and tell me these sort of things"

"Maybe because when it comes to Spike you aren't the most understanding of people," Joyce reasoned.

"Well, it _is_ Spike for God's sake," Giles retorted, "I mean of all- at least with Angel it was bloody understandable to some extent, but _Spike_? And-"

"See, I _knew_ you'd react like that," Joyce cut him off, "And so does she. And when you get like that-"

"Like what?"

"When you look down on a decision of hers like that, just like you're looking now, you make her feel about this big," Joyce marked out the sized by holding her thumb and forefinger about a centimeter apart.

"I do not," Giles protested, "I always try my utmost to be understanding of-"

"I'm not saying you do it on purpose, but sometimes-"

"Maybe I should ah, talk to her perhaps? Maybe offer some words of-"

"No," Joyce cut Rupert off firmly, "No, you will not say a word about this. For one she made me promise to keep her secret just that- a secret. And second of all- you'll probably just end up placing your foot in your mouth completely,"

"Joyce, I am full capa-"

"Rupert," Joyce's tone of voice was warning, firm and offered no room for negotiation, "Not a word."

* * *

As the two came back down the stairs they almost bumped into Buffy who was walking out the door with a young guy who had a sweet homegrown-slash-surfer look about him. Someone they definitely didn't know. 

"Hi," Joyce smiled politely before looking at Buffy questioningly.

"Oh, Mom this is uh- erm..." Buffy looked at a complete loss.

"Richard," The guy filled in helpfully and Buffy smiled in relief.

"Richard. And uh, Richard this is my uh Mom and Giles."

There was mutually polite handshaking through out for a moment.

"Joyce," Joyce introduced herself, feeling 'Mom' wasn't quite helpful to Richard who'd never met her before in her life.

"I was just going to show Richard the best place to park his car," Buffy explained realizing how completely lame that truthful explanation sounded, "Erm, Tara and Willow have just arrived. They're in the kitchen. With some other people"

Joyce and Giles both silently thought they knew who the 'other people' were that Buffy was referring to and while Buffy headed outside with Richard, the couple went in the direction of the kitchen.

The kitchen that was presently very cramped. Anya and Xander were where they left them, but they had now been joined by Dawn. Willow and Tara were near the kitchen doorway and Spike was at the door with an unfamiliar someone who looked incredibly like a demon. But _surely_ there wouldn't be a demon invited to the party, Spike not included.

"Who are you?" Joyce frowned.

"And you say _I'm _blunt," Anya murmured to Xander.

"Oh I'm Clem," The demon smiled, his loose skin wobbling slightly as he stepped forward and held out a hand for Joyce to shake, "We've never met. But I know Spike. And I've met Buffy. Once. But we've never met, no"

"Really?" Joyce smiled weakly as she shook his hand. Clem then shook Giles' hand as well.

"Well, this should be fun shouldn't it?" Clem grinned at everyone, "I'm looking forward to it. Much fun." No one replied, but Clem seemed oblivious to the silence as he looked down at a platter on the side, "Are these hors d'oeuvres?" He asked, before taking one anyway.

* * *

"If we go get Buffy now, she can start on the presents. It's been enough time, hasn't it?" Dawn asked Anya and Xander impatiently as they stood in the living room, music playing in the background. 

"Not yet sweetie," Anya shook her head.

"I think Buffy's busy right now anyway," Xander added.

"Buffy's making a new friend right now,"Anya informed her, "A grown up friend," At that she and Xander shared a 'secret' smile.

"What?" Dawn asked, "You mean that guy you asked to set her up with?"

Anya and Xander shared another secret, knowing smile.

"It's not like I don't understand why you invited him," Dawn pointed out, "I was there remember? I hear you when I'm in the room, you know. I do understand these things,"

"Yes you do," Anya agreed patronizingly, ruffling Dawn's hair as though she were a ten year old.

"You do know I'm in high school right?" Dawn asked in disbelief, but Anya merely ruffled her again and spoke in that same patronizing tone.

"Yes you are"

"_Mom,"_ Dawn turned to her Mother in frustrated exasperation, but Joyce had already left the room again. Dawn sighed in defeat and quiet anger- why would no one stay around long enough to listen to what she actually had to say?

* * *

"Uh..." Buffy frowned down at her present from Willow and Tara in confusion, 

"See?" Willow pointed out, "It's a battery operated back massager, only it's portable, so you can take it with you on patrol"

"Willow picked it out," Tara explained, though whether this was to give Willow credit for the gift picking or rather to make sure she herself wasn't blamed for said picking.

"It's like instant gratification for all your little achys," Willow added with a grin and Buffy nodded again, before setting the massager aside.

"Okay, great thanks," Buffy smiled, "Okay so your gift's down, Mom and Giles...who's next?"

"Oh, do mine!" Dawn told her handing her a box and Joyce looked at Dawn questioningly- she hadn't told her what she had bought her sister, but at the size of the box she wondered what on earth she had managed to afford on her allowance.

All was revealed when Buffy took off the box lid to find a beautiful, black leather jacket.

"Dawn..." Buffy was completely stunned and clearly touched by the gesture.

"Do you like it?" Dawn asked anxiously.

"It's gorgeous," Buffy told her, inspecting the jacket caringly.

"I was so nervous," Dawn admitted, "I was afraid you wouldn't like it"

Buffy frowned as she came across a not-supposed-to-be-there-discovery.

"It's still got the security tag on," She told her sister, holding it up for her to see.

"Huh?" Dawn frowned also, "That's so weird, I can't believe they left that on..."

"It happens sometimes," Joyce shrugged, walking over to get a closer look at the jacket herself, "We'll just go back to the store on Monday and have them take it off. It shouldn't be a problem"

No one noticed Dawn's extremely nervous look at that suggestion.

"Happy birthday Buff!" Xander suddenly exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention as he wheeled in a beautifully crafted and intricately carved weapons chest.

"Oh my god," Buffy gasped as she, and everyone except Dawn and Joyce rushed over for a closer look at the gift Xander had made personally.

Joyce picked up the box containing the leather jacket and took a seat next to her youngest daughter.

"Dawn, how did you afford this?" She asked, looking closely at the jacket, and feeling the material underneath her fingers. It was clearly high quality, one of the best in fact, which made the fact that Dawn had afforded it somehow even more bewildering, "I mean...I know I didn't lend you any money towards...did Rupert-"

"No," Dawn shook her head, "I uh I-I saw it months ago so I was...uh, so I was saving up for it. I saved up the money"

Joyce nodded in understanding.

"Well, that's not fair," She finally said, "That's your allowance, it's the only money you have. I can't have you going without for months just to buy...I'll pay you back"

"No, it's fine really," Dawn hurriedly said, "I mean if you pay me back...it'll be like you bought it her and I didn't..." She added at a slower pace.

"No it wouldn't honey," Joyce told her, "But if you feel that way, maybe I could just pay half?"

"No, Mom really, it's fine," Dawn assured her but Joyce wasn't convinced.

"Sweetie you shouldn't have to pay so much, you're only fifteen and-"

"_Mom,_"

Just then, an unfamiliar girl walked in looking very much nervous and very much shy.

"Sophie, hey," Buffy smiled, spotting her friend from college and the nineteen year old seemed to relax.

"Hi," She smiled back.

"We're somewhere between presents and cake," Buffy explained before turning to Xander in panic, "There is going to be cake right?" Xander nodded in confirmation.

"Hey, um, my Mom told me to say thank you right away for inviting me otherwise I forget," Sophie spoke to the entire group, but her attention seemed to remain more or less focused on the one face in the room that was familiar to her; Buffy, "so thank you and also that I can't have any chocolate or peanuts or egg yolks or something dairy"

There was a short moment of silence as everyone took this ramble in.

"I'm sure that'll be fine," Joyce eventually said, Mother instincts kicking in as she headed over to the girl, "Let's just get your coat"

"Is this your friend from college?" Anya asked Buffy in a low whisper.

"Yeah, she's the only one in my catch up class who's not a JD so lay off," Buffy whispered back, "Besides- she works at that Doublemeat Palace place and I'm sure that does things to people. They all have that same vacant stare..."

"You think it may be something supernatural in origin?" Giles asked, picking up on Buffy's thoughtful tone and she shrugged.

"I don't know. Probably not. It's a fast food joint- tends to suck the brains outta people anyway,"

"Perhaps it'd be best to keep an eye on the place though," Giles suggested, "If you suspect something might be amiss,"

"Yeah, I guess..." Buffy shrugged in agreement.

"Dawn, would you close the door?" Joyce asked as she led Sophie to the kitchen to help her get a drink that she wasn't allergic to, "I mean since everybody's here"

"Yeah," Buffy agreed as her sister closed the front door, "We can do official introductions now everyone's officially here"

* * *

It was much later on in the night, leading on and way past midnight and the party was still going strong. Sure people were looking a little disheveled and empty plates and cups lay everywhere in disarray but everyone was still up at the house and fully in the party spirit. The only problem now was they had ran out of the thing they call the alcohol. 

"No you go," Anya giggled as she sat on Xander's knee.

"No you go," Xander giggled back, poking her in the ribs playfully.

"No you go," Anya shook her head with a laugh.

"One of you bloody go, before I throw up," Giles grumbled from where he was sat and the couple took a moment from the giggle fest to glare at him.

"Okay, it's just a beer run," Willow said, "I'll go"

"I can't really, like, drink beer," Sophie informed them all, "cause you know, Barley, but I'll go with you to get some," She smiled.

"Perfect," Willow nodded in agreement, "Here we go with the beer getting"

Not one single person made an effort to move and eventually Willow slumped her head on the table in defeat.

As Dawn took in this sight and wandered around to look at everyone else and smiled at the fact that no one seemed to be leaving. They were all here, all spending time with her and not dashing off to 'more important' things like they had been doing lately. Even Richard and Sophie had had an actual conversation with her rather than ignoring her like people usually did and the skin demon, Clem, was turning out to be pretty okay. Spike of course was just his usual self, but Dawn couldn't help frowning at the thought of how she had noticed he seemed to be talking to her less than he used to and paying more attention to what Buffy was doing. But she refused to let that drag her off her company high.

* * *

"This sucks," Buffy announced in a game of monopoly she was playing with Richard, Anya, Giles and Dawn. "I'm out" She slammed her fake money down on the mini table dramatically. 

"I usually like this game," Anya complained, "Bankrupting somebody is always the fun part." She turned to Giles with a scowl, "But you're doing better than I am"

"I am merely..." Giles went to answer with a neutral statement but changed his mind half way, "superior."

"Merely cheating you mean," Anya retorted, "You're a player and the banker. That's the easy street of cheat town"

Giles looked beyond offended, his face an expression of pure shock.

"Anya, just because I am better able at a game of a Monopoly is no reason to fire cheap shots,"

Anya went to retort with an even cheaper shot, but Joyce cut in.

"Okay, time out children," She told them taking a seat next to Rupert and taking the bank money away from him, "_I'll_ be banker. It was the only way I was able to stop Buffy and Dawn cheating when they were little,"

"I haven't been bloody cheating," Giles insisted and Joyce leaned back a little so she could speak quietly in his ear and told him essentially, that she had seen him cheating quite frequently in the past hour. She changed the ear-whisper into a kiss on the cheek so the others didn't know what she had said, or that she had said anything at all, but she threw Rupert a smile that suggested he had better stop defending his integrity if he didn't want her to give him away. "So, Buffy," She said, looking at her daughter, "Are you dropping out?"

"No, no she's not," Richard shook his head at Joyce before turning to Buffy, "We've been playing for, like, three hours. It's already two something. You can't bail now"

"Yes, stay," Anya agreed eagerly, "If I can't bankrupt Giles, I can at least bankrupt you"

"If that's not incentive to stay, I don't know what is," Richard grinned, "Think of it as a challenge"

Buffy smiled and agreed reluctantly to stay in the game, proclaiming that if she got sent to jail, Richard was to be the one bailing her out.

Joyce and Giles both looked at Richard before smiling at each other. Richard was a nice guy, with no supernatural bad links (so far), decent job, and he made Buffy laugh. He was sweet and just the sort of guy the two of them thought Buffy needed, plus there was the definite upside of the fact he had a reflection.

"Hey, maybe we should have a slumber party!" Dawn suggested with a wide grin.

"I don't know..." Buffy shrugged.

"I don't think we have the room Dawn..." Joyce added.

"But everyone's just lounging around here anyway..." Dawn reasoned, smiling a winning smile and her Mom seemed to relent.

"Well, I guess," Joyce looked around at everyone, "I suppose everyone seems to be staying anyway. Might as well make it official"

Dawn couldn't have been happier.

* * *

They all had dozed off at some point, though no one in the entire room could remember exactly when. It was early morning and that special kind of light was filtered through the curtains. That morning light that only ever seems to be created after the house has been host to a sleepover. It was a sleepover light. 

The living room was a complete wreck with empty bottles and cups everywhere, plates stepped on so many times they were practically part of the carpet, chip debris, empty packets of said potato chips, empty bowls that once held sweets.

Spike and Buffy were sat on the floor, lazily playing cards together. So lazily in fact that the game they were playing was Snap. And that was a very slow version. Rupert and Joyce both woke simultaneously, discovering that at some point in the early hours of the morning they had gained the rights to the sofa, while in even less understandable fashion Willow and Tara had fallen asleep practically in the fireplace.

Richard, the only one of the entire group that seemed fully awake, walked over to Xander expectantly.

"Xander, we have to be at work in a few minutes,"

"Yeah," Xander agreed, but made no movement to even take his eyes away from the cartoon he was watching with Anya, Clem and Dawn.

"Huh?" Willow frowned in confusion as she and Tara finally woke up, "Wait, does everyone know who they are?" Everyone looked at her silently, "Just figure it's a good idea to check"

"I can't be late today," Richard added, as though this would compel Xander to get up.

"What time is it?" Joyce asked everyone, but looked at her own watch anyway. Half eleven. "Rupert, we've got the doctor's appointment in an hour."

"Doctor's?" Dawn asked, immediately concerned.

"Just an ultrasound," Giles explained.

"One in a series of many," Joyce explained further.

"You know, you should definitely go Richard," Spike said, "Let's find your coat. Get you on your merry way"

"Spike..." Buffy said warningly.

"I don't know why I'm not going," Richard admitted, sounding completely flummoxed by the entire affair.

"Me neither," Spike agreed, "'sides, Richie, can't skip breakfast, growing boy like you. Me, I used to love breakfast." He looked pointedly at Richard, "In the olden days I would have probably eaten by now"

"Course with that new diet of yours you wanna be careful what you eat now, Spikey," Buffy said her tone as pointed as Spike's glare.

"Yeah?" Spike didn't sound at all deterred, "Dunno...tummy's making all kinds of grumblies, maybe I oughta just feed on whatever's around, even if it doesn't go down well," He smiled at Richard, "You work out?"

Before Spike could say another word Buffy dragged him up by the arm and dragged him out of the living room into the hall.

"Xander, we really should get to work," Richard repeated, but yet again Xander didn't look too keen to move away from his cartoons.

"If we must have the television on, can't it be a something more substantial than Wild E Coyote?" Giles requested, and Xander rolled his eyes.

"What did you have in mind?" He asked in a politely bored tone, strongly suspecting that he was going to have a request for the late morning news.

"_Tom and Jerry_ perhaps," Giles suggested and Xander grinned.

"That? That I can work," He smiled, grabbing the remote and entering in a few digits. The channel loaded and an episode of _Tom and Jerry _flickered onto the screen.

Buffy rushed back into the living room suddenly, Spike close behind her.

"Giles; we have a problem"

* * *

"There's something keeping us in this house," Buffy concluded a little while later. 

"But why?" Joyce asked, "I don't understand what this would accomplish"

"Cutting us off from the outside world- the phones are out and with no way to get outside- it could either make us go mad, homicidal, both or another factor is when we run out of food and we, ah, starve to death" Giles told her.

"That was actually a question that I didn't want you to answer," Joyce informed him, feeling slightly worse now.

"Has everyone tried to get out?" Tara asked.

"What if we, as a group, just get up right now and throw ourselves at the door?" Willow suggested.

"All right," Xander nodded in agreement, "On a count of three. One, two, three"

Nothing happened, in fact, no one even moved from their seat.

"And hence the dilemma" Buffy summed up the situation.

"I really need to go," Richard said, "I mean, I have a job to go to"

"I need to open the shop" Anya added.

"We have a doctor's appointment to get to," Giles informed everyone.

"And then I've got to get to the Gallery," Joyce added on.

"I have a shift at the Doublemeat," Sophie said, before realizing that wasn't the highlight of her day, "Actually, I'm alright here"

"I'm fine too," Clem said.

"Tara, Willow, Buffy- they all have class," Xander finished off the list, "I have to get to the site"

"I know, I know," Buffy nodded in agreement, "We all have places we'd rather be"

"Our first priority is to find a way out of here," Giles told everyone, "Though how we actually go about that I don't know"

"Sure," Dawn agreed in a bitter tone, "Of course you all wanna leave.'Cause being stuck here with me- that would really suck, right?"

"What?" Joyce asked in disbelief, "Dawn, no, of course not. It's just these things we have to get to are really impor-"

"Important, yeah," Dawn finished bitterly as she stood up out of her seat, "Whatever that means, right?" She turned and ran past everyone, up the stairs and presumably into her bedroom.

* * *

"Dawn?" Joyce pushed opened Dawn's bedroom door gently, "Dawn sweetie?" She walked into the room followed by the rest of the party guests save for Clem, Sophie and Richard who had remained downstairs. 

"What?" Dawn asked, not looking at them, preferring to remain sulking on her bed.

"Dawn, did you, ah, do you know something about why this is happening?" Giles asked carefully.

"Me?? Why would I know?"

"Dawn, we're not mad," Buffy told her, "If you did do anything"

"I didn't!" Dawn yelled back, tension and frustration rising.

"No one's saying you did," Joyce assured, "We just want to know whether you..." She sighed, struggling to verbalize what she was trying to say.

"Whether you might know a reason why it happened," Tara continued, "Even if it wasn't on purpose. I'd like to think that if you did know something you could tell us"

"But I don't know _anything_!" Dawn yelled back. "I didn't do it!"

"No one's accusing you Dawn," Willow told her, "It just seemed like you were taking it kinda personal down there"

"What? So now you just assume it's all my fault?" Dawn asked them bitterly, "Great, here's me basking in the love"

"Dawn, is something wrong?" Joyce asked, deeply concerned, "Besides the obvious matter of we're trapped in the house...because you've never said anything about... there's nothing going on is there?"

"No, nothing except the fact you all seemed to think I'm to blame!" Dawn retorted angrily causing Joyce to recoil slightly.

"Dawn, we're just trying to figure out what's going on," Buffy said, attempting to calm her sister down.

"Figure it out yourself," Dawn told her angrily, "I'm done being talked to like a kid"

To reaffirm the fact that the conversation was over, Dawn turned on her side on her bed, her back to the entire group.

"Cause you know," Xander carried on regardless, "sometimes you do something that seems like a good idea at the time, like say, invoke the power of a musical amulet. And then it turns out you know, not so much"

Dawn sat up in a rage suddenly, turning to face them all with an angry glare.

"God! I didn't do anything!" She shouted at them, "But I wish I had!"

This got everybody listening.

"Things need to change around here!" Dawn told them all, "Nobody's ever around-"

"Dawn," Joyce began, clearly hurt by this proclamation, "I'm a-"

"No, no you're not. None of you are," Dawn cut her off, "To hell with you guys! I'm glad you're trapped! How else can I get anyone to spend any time with me?"

"Dawn, I spend time with you," Joyce told her, trying to mask her own hurt at Dawn's words.

"And you know you're always free to hang with us," Willow attempted to smile, but the atmosphere of the situation kept it more at a polite wince.

"Get out," Dawn murmured.

"Dawn-" Joyce tried yet again to reach her daughter, but Dawn was having none of it.

"Get out!" She screeched, "Get out! Get out! Get out!"

* * *

"She's all confusing," Xander stated as the disheartened and concerned group, made their reluctant way back downstairs, "Stay here...go away..."

"I think she's possessed," Anya said simply, taking a seat in the living room.

"That'd be nice," Buffy agreed, "Coz possession? I am really good at"

"She's a teenager," Xander summed it all up and Giles nodded in agreement.

"Which is essentially the same as a possession at times," He reasoned.

"She's a teenager who's been feeling neglected," Joyce added, her forlorn tone revealing that she held herself entirely to blame and Giles immediately picked up on that.

"Joyce, you mustn't blame yourself," He told her, "Dawn is going through a hard time, that is true, but none of us are to blame. This is something Dawn herself has well 'issues' about and I'm afraid that means she's going to have to deal with them herself also."

"Great," Anya sighed, "That means a mopey teenager for two weeks. Maybe more. She can be pretty persistent when it comes to the angst"

"Anya," Joyce reprimanded, but Anya just looked at her with a shrug as though saying 'what? It's true'.

"She was so angry," Joyce was speaking to everyone but she was looking directly at Rupert as though it were only the two of them there, "I've never seen her like that"

"We all got like that though," Buffy reasoned, "Hell, I got like that." She added sheepishly, "A lot..."

"But at least you came to me about it," Joyce replied sadly.

"Hey, I don't wanna keep you all from the touchie feelies," Spike interrupted, "But maybe the encounter group could meet later? Say when we're not trapped in a house?"

"Even if Dawn does know something, she isn't going to help us right now," Tara reasoned, "We need to find another way"

"It seems our best bet is magic," Buffy concluded.

"Quite right," Giles agreed, "I'm at a loss for any other suggestions. I'm afraid we have very few supplies here though- Tara, you may have to just make the best of it"

"I'll see what I can do," Tara nodded, preparing herself for the challenge.

* * *

"What is going on?" Richard demanded of everyone while Tara prepared a releasement spell in the kitchen, "We're trapped in a house by what- some unseen force and-"

"Why don't you sit down?" Joyce asked tersely from where she was sat on the living room sofa, her own patience dissolving as Richard paced to and fro in agitation.

"Sit down? How can I sit down when all this weird stuff is going on? I mean those chicks are doing some freaky voodoo thing in the kitchen and then there's that blond guy over there-"

"Spike," Spike filled in simply and helpfully.

"Who let's face it- is just creepy, and then that-" Richard turned to point at Clem, "I don't think that's a skin condition"

"Pacing isn't going to change any of that," Joyce told him, "Just sit down. You're giving me a headache"

She rested her head in her hands in frustration and Rupert went over to her in concern.

"Are you okay?" He asked and she lifted her head to look at him wearily.

"I'm fine...I just, I don't do so well in confined spaces," She informed him, "Especially ones that contain lots of people"

"You're claustrophobic?" He translated and she nodded.

"A bit, yes"

"We'll get out of here soon, I promise" He told her, instantly reassuring her, believing his own words.

"I know," She managed to smile. "I'm okay...mostly"

"Try the door!" They heard Tara call from the kitchen.

Spike tried as hard as he could, the strain of the attempt evident on his face, but he couldn't step forward, couldn't even reach for the door knob and he sighed in frustrated defeat.

"Nope." He called back, "Can't."

The silence of disappointment lasted a second before the sound of the loud roar of a sword-wielding demon broke into the air. He charged at the group near the door, charging past Rupert and Joyce without a moment's notice, swinging his sword towards the pacing Richard who collapsed in pain as the weapon sliced across his stomach.

Willow, Xander, Tara and Buffy came running in from the kitchen in time to see the demon swinging around the now bloodied sword. Buffy tackled him, running him into the living room where Rupert grabbed Joyce's hand and immediately pulled her away from the danger zone, into the hall where the others were. As Buffy tackled the demon to the floor however, the demon disappeared into the floorboards, taking his sword with him and everyone looked around in panicked confusion. That soon turned into simple panic as the monster reappeared behind Buffy and sent her flying into an almost-ready Spike, before the monster yet again disappeared from sight as it melted into the wall.

The sound of Richard groaning in pain broke into the shocked silence.

"Someone uh, we need to get him upstairs," Joyce said as she tried to see if the man was okay. She pulled his hand back away from his wound gently and she wasn't the only one to gasp as she saw the gushing blood there, "Oh god...he needs a doctor"

"And we'll get one. Soon," Buffy told her, and by extension everyone else including Richard, "Trust me, we'll be out of here soon okay"

* * *

It was coming up for the early hours of the following morning and they still hadn't escaped the house and Rupert and Joyce were on Richard Watch. The Richard who at the moment wasn't looking well at all.

"He's just getting worse," Joyce said as Rupert re-entered the room, "The bleeding only stops for moments at a time"

"I know," Rupert nodded, taking a seat beside his wife, next to what was usually their bed, and she leant into him, grateful for one moment where she didn't have to be entirely strong and self-reliant, "Sophie's not coping too well downstairs and Anya...she has a lot worse case of claustrophobia than you can claim to. Xander can barely calm her down"

"What's keeping us here?" Joyce asked, sounding completely helpless.

"I don't know," Rupert was just as without answers, "I don't know..."

"We missed our appointment, the phones are cut so we can't call them or anyone else for that matter," Joyce listed off, "Richard needs a Doctor urgently, Dawn isn't talking to me and then there's this, this demon who can just appear from anywhere a-and... God, it's too much. I need to get out of here. We have to get out of here"

"I promise everything will be okay," He told her, even though he couldn't be sure it would be, "I won't let anything happen"

"I wish I could believe you," She told him softly as he put his arm around her soothingly, and he knew not to take offense in her words- she was just stating a horrible truth.

Suddenly, there was the sound of loud rustling from the room next door- from Dawn's room, as though someone were ransacking it. The couple got up,leaving Richard temporarily to see what was going on.

They entered Dawn's room to find Xander stood near the doorway helplessly while Anya rooted through all of Dawn's things feverishly.

"Anya, what are you doing?" Joyce demanded just as Dawn and Buffy came in behind her.

"She knows something," Anya said repeatedly, sounding completely crazed, "She does, I know it. We have to find out what"

"Ahn," Xander pleaded, "If you just stop for a second"

"Hey, stop that" Dawn said, stepping forward, sounding slightly panicked.

"Anya no" Buffy protested, "It wasn't her fault" she told her, but Anya wasn't listening.

"Where is it?" She asked as she reached for Dawn's jewelery box, opened the lid and poured the contents out onto the floor. Contents that still carried their tags. Their Magic Box tags.

There was a silent intake of breath as the implication of this evidence sank in. Anya dropped to her knees, grabbing the stolen items in her hands.

"How could you do this?" She sounded terribly wounded and hurt as she turned to look at Dawn.

"Dawn..." Joyce just sounded disappointed, while neither Buffy, Xander or Giles had anything to say though they also shared expressions of hurt and disappointment. "From the Magic Box as well..."

Dawn, unable to deal with so much disappointment, ran out of the room, but Anya- with the Magic Box items still in her hands- was hot on her heels and she and the others all followed Dawn down the stairs.

"I work hard at the store." Anya said, sounding too hurt to be overly angry, "And Giles as well. He looks after you, he's your stepdad. Is this how you repay him? Repay us for all we did for you?"

"Anya hold on," Buffy said, stepping forward, "Just tell her you didn't do this Dawn. Tell them it was a mistake"

Buffy was clutching at straws and she knew it. As much as her Mom was presently falling apart as was Giles, the two of them knew what they had seen. They knew Dawn had been stealing from the magic shop. Buffy turned away and her eyes fell on the leather jacket on the sofa. The one Dawn had 'bought' her.

"Oh god..." She breathed as the realization came to her.

"Dawn, how could do this? To Rupert and to Anya?" Joyce asked, pleading for some explanation as she too glanced at the leather jacket and made the obvious connection. "If you've been...Dawn, how can I, how can we trust you anymore?"

"You say you didn't put us here," Anya said, "But look at this stuff- how are we supposed to believe you?"

Buffy, though she was clearly still very hurt, defended her sister.

"No, it wasn't her," She told her and therefore everyone else, "I think it was her guidance counselor. Or someone pretending to be one. She got Dawn to make a wish"

"Guidance counselor," Anya sighed, "You made a wish to someone you've never met before?"

"I have a strange sense of deja vu," Giles admitted sarcastically, as he was reminded of a certain incident with Anya a couple of years ago which had resulted in a vampire double of Willow being summoned to Sunnydale.

"Did she wear a pendent," Anya asked Dawn, "With a blue stone?"

"And little red flecks..." Dawn added sheepishly as she realized what she had done.

"For crying out loud," Anya said in exasperation, before calling out "Halfrek!" She looked at everyone to explain, "It's Halfrek. A vengeance demon. You made a wish to a vengeance demon. Only a vengeance demon can undo her own vengeance spell, nothing else will work. She's the only who can get us out. Hallie, get your ass down here!"

Halfrek, in full demon face, attire, appeared in the middle of the living room dramatically.

"You rang"

* * *

It was the next morning and the house was blissfully empty save for the Giles/Summers family. Dawn was sat in the middle of the sofa, while her Mom, Giles and Buffy sat around her.

"I just wish you had come to me," Joyce said.

"I wanted to..." Dawn murmured, "But..."

"But what?" Her Mother asked, but her daughter was reluctant, "Dawn, you have to tell us sweetie. I think last night proved why"

"You all seem to be well, not not around, but not there," Dawn admitted, "I'd come to talk to one of you and you'd be...I don't know. Buffy's with her friends or patrolling or you two," She looked at Joyce and Giles, "Your attention's always on the most recent Lily update o-or...the other the day the two of you were just dancing in the living room"

"Dancing?" Buffy asked with a raised eyebrow, almost bursting out laughing.

"That's besides the point," Giles informed her, before turning to Dawn, "Dawn, are you suggesting that what qualifies as spending time with you is in fact neglecting to have lives ourselves?"

"No...not exactly..." Dawn murmured.

"Because that seems to be what you're asking of us," Giles admitted.

"Honey, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I thought I was neglecting you. I don't understand why you don't see that," Joyce said, "You are always my priority. But you have to understand that that doesn't mean I'm constantly focused on you entirely. I do have other responsibilities. Lily is one of them yes. And Buffy, the Gallery, Rupert...all these are other priorities in my life- just like Buffy and Rupert also have theirs. But that doesn't mean that you aren't one of them"

"Dawn, you have to tell us these things," Buffy said kindly, "Because well, in our life they tend to turn a kinda supernatural nasty rather than just your average fester zone"

This prompted a little smile from Dawn.

"So we're good?" Joyce asked, even though she knew it would be a long time before it was completely true "You're okay now?"

Dawn nodded.

"Good," Joyce smiled, giving her daughter a hug, "I hate to see you upset. Any kind of upset. You know that."

"Now, we do have an even more serious matter to discuss," Giles announced and Dawn immediately looked down at her lap in shame. "Now, I am not going to request you explain what prompted you to steal from mine and Anya's store, but what I- and consequently Anya also- do request is that you make up for it in some way, pay us back if you will"

"How?" Dawn asked warily.

"Working at the store I think will suffice," Giles informed her, "Your Mother and I have worked around your school timetable and a schedule for homework to allow the majority of the rest of your time to be focused on working at the magic shop"

"As for the items from the others stores," Joyce said, "You are going to work with Buffy and I to return all said items and apologize personally to each owner or manager of each and every store"

Dawn nodded, knowing she couldn't argue as she was fully in the wrong, but she couldn't help feeling the months ahead were going to drag at an embarrassingly slow speed.


	22. As You Were

zigpal- Thank you for the review, and as always my clap dosage and you like my take more than Joss'?! That comment just blew me away (not that I'm dramatic or anything...oh no, not at all)- it was just such a big compliment. Thank you. And trust me, there's biiig changes on the way. biiiiig. hehe.

rabidreject- Thank you and yeah, I felt they needed a family moment. and yes two flatlines. And you'll never guess who. never, never, never. .::laughs childishly::.

* * *

A/N: Oh my god, it's taken me a whole week to update! Damn college. Making me write essays. I mean are they beneficial to anyone, at all? Really? Anyway, so sorry for the long wait and I'll try to update sooner next time. yeesh. Hope you like this chapter guys.

* * *

Dawn wandered into the kitchen, a bright smile on her face since it was Saturday and that equaled mall trip with her friends, and absolutely no school, or in fact anything educational. When she reached the kitchen though she saw Giles was the one making breakfast and her Mom, the usual breakfast maker in the house, was sat at the island, her head slumped down on the table as though she wanted to block out the entire world. 

"Mom?" Dawn questioned, but Joyce didn't answer so Dawn looked to Giles for an answer, "Is this another pregnancy thing?"

"Your Mother's depressed. Temporarily at least," He answered and Dawn frowned.

"What do you mean? Why?"

"Today is the day she's realized she's going to have to buy maternity clothes," Giles explained gravely and Dawn frowned yet again.

"But what's she been wearing till now?"

"I've just been going up a size," Joyce, now sat up, answered, "But now the bump's got to that point that if I go any further sizes up...the shoulders are all big and loose"

"So what's the big?" Dawn asked, "Buy maternity clothes"

"But they're all...frilly," Joyce half-whined.

Dawn managed to suppress a laugh "No they're not"

"Yes, yes they are," Joyce insisted, "Pink and frills...and things for... twenty year old cheerleaders"

"The conclusion is we're going, ah, shopping today," Giles said, suppressing his own laugh as he served Dawn a plate of pancakes which she greedily took.

"Stop finding it funny," Joyce told him, catching the smile he was trying to cover up. "I mean this is all- oof," Joyce winced slightly,putting a hand to the bump that was presently, in her opinion, the cause of all the world's problems.

"Joyce?" Giles frowned in concern.

"It's fine," She told him, "It's just, she's been moving and kicking a lot lately."

"Really?" Dawn grinned, "That is so cool"

"No," Joyce shook her head, "Not cool. For all of you it's 'cool'- you just get to feel it from the _outside occasionally. _It's me she's kicking, from the inside, constantly."

"This is one of those days isn't it?" Dawn whispered to Giles, "Where everything is all complainable?"

"I think so," Giles sighed, "Perhaps it would be best if you-"

"Stayed out of the war zone?" Dawn finished, "I'm thinking yeah"

"Stop talking about me as though I'm not here," Joyce complained, "I'm pregnant, not deaf"

"Okay, the mall is calling to me," Dawn told her Mom, "I promised I'd meet Janice and the others in a bit so...I'm...uh...bye!"

Dawn rushed out of the kitchen before her Mother could protest and she bumped directly into Buffy, who was sleepily heading towards the kitchen, still in her pajamas. Dawn didn't bother to warn her of the danger zone that was currently their Mom.

Buffy naively walked into the kitchen, heading directly for the fridge where she knew there was a carton of OJ with her name on it.

"Morning all," She greeted them briefly, figuring that was enough communication for first thing in the morning.

"Buffy," Joyce said, looking over at her daughter and pushing a too-shiny magazine open at the middle page across the island towards her, "What do you think of those?" She asked in a non-biased, attempted-neutral tone.

Buffy grabbed her orange juice carton and a glass before leaning over to have a look at the pictures her Mother was showing her.

It was a catalog magazine and the page was filled with items abundant in pinks, lemons and tassels and frills. It was all way too girly for Buffy's liking.

"Wicked frilly," Buffy shook her head in distaste and Joyce turned to look at Giles.

"I told you!" She said to him, essentially saying 'aha!', "I'm not a frills person. And I don't wear pinks. Or lemons. blues...reds...whites yes- all colors that _don't_ make me fade into the wallpaper. But _no_ pastels."

"Did I miss something?" Buffy asked in confusion.

"Maternity clothes," Giles explained with a sigh, knowing this was going to set Joyce off on another rant.

"_These _are what I'm expected to wear!" Joyce exclaimed, jabbing her finger on the pictures of the offending items.

"Mom, it's okay," Buffy attempted to calm her Mother down. Joyce was usually such a calm, even minded person, who even when stressed beyond belief was able to keep her Mom Cool and deal with things rationally. However, Buffy found that the further Joyce got in the pregnancy the less rational and calm she had become. "Look, these aren't the only maternity clothes. I mean sure they're the only ones in Sunnydale...but erm...maybe Willow could do some shop search online? Frill-less maternity clothes delivered straight to your door"

Her Mother's expression was so filled with hope, Buffy struggled to keep a straight face. "You know what? I'm off to see Will and the gang in a hour so I will have a little chattage with her and erm...see what we can do. Erm, till then...make the best of a frilly situation?" Buffy suggested with a wince and as Joyce sighed in frustrated and depressed defeat at this frill reminder Giles looked as though he really wanted to throw something at Buffy.

After Buffy had walked out of the kitchen- or rather fled for fear of having to use her Slayer reflexes to defend herself- Joyce turned to look at Giles.

"Will you still love me when I'm frilly?" She asked, so earnestly asking the question, she herself hadn't realized how ridiculous it sounded.

"Always," Rupert smiled, giving her a brief yet tender kiss before taking a seat beside her at the island.

"How did we get here?" She asked suddenly and Giles frowned in confusion.

"Pardon?"

"We never intended to go this far did we?" She asked him, looking into his eyes, "When it started out...it was just meant to be some fun. Albeit somewhat needed fun, but...still just fun. I know a serious relationship hadn't been on the agenda...and I personally had no plans for anymore children. I mean one was enough. Two. One" Joyce shook her head in confusion, "Sorry...it's just the further along I am in this pregnancy the more the non-Dawn memories seem to keep re-affirming themselves"

"Really?" Rupert asked, suddenly deeply concerned, "And that's happening a lot?"

"Not a lot a lot," Joyce answered, "But sometimes...," Before Rupert could express any further concern over this information, Joyce carried on, "The point is I'd been there enough to know that well...sometimes you don't always find Love...or even flowers. Time's pretty much for just finding something that makes you happy"

"But...?" Rupert prompted.

"But here we are over three years later and we're so 'serious' that it's still surreal," She sighed a reflective sigh, "How did we end up here?"

"I don't know,"He answered honestly, "I really don't know"

The two sat together in comfortable silence for a while, before Giles spoke up.

"Was that a clever and touching way to make me feel content so as to ensure I won't remind you of the shopping duties you have to fulfill today?"

Joyce was silent.

* * *

"So Mom's pretty much a war zone right now," Buffy explained to the gang as they all gathered together at a too-small-for-so-many-of-them table at the Espresso Pump. "I rushed out as fast as I could to see you guys and Dawn's at Janice's. Thereby leaving all responsibility and war-yness to Giles, where it belongs." 

"Darn tootn," Willow agreed with a grin, before taking a big slurp of her Frappacino that caused several other customers at the Espresso Pump to look over at her in distaste and she blushed.

"S-so your mom is just upset about clothes?" Tara asked, as though to straighten the facts out for herself and Buffy nodded.

"Yeah, that and other things. I have a strong feeling Giles is next on the list."

"Ah the complicated bliss of married life," Xander commented, inwardly laughing at Giles' predicament.

"Of which you will get to experience for yaself up close and personal soon," Willow grinned as she took another, more silent, slurp of her drink and she was sure she saw Xander gulp at the thought.

"Where is Anya?" Buffy asked as the ex-demon was the only one absent from the Scooby coffee gathering.

"Where else?" Xander asked in reply, "The Magic Box. Can't let those profits go to waste!" Xander grinned, though it was strained, "Actually later on we've gotta pick up my relatives and her demons at the airport"

"Demons are taking the plane?" Tara frowned in genuine confusion.

"No," Xander shook his head, "These are your more traditional demon teleporters"

"Of course," Willow nodded in mock seriousness, before turning to Buffy, "Tell your Mom I'll have a look online tonight. If I get any good sites I'll send them her way"

"Much appreciated," Buffy smiled thankfully, "Personally I'll just be glad when this whole nine-month deal is over and I can have like normal Mom back. Mom two point oh is just a little too...unpredictable. And lately," She looked at her friends pointedly, "She's been worse than Dawn for whining"

* * *

There was one good thing about this trip to the Mommy-to-Wear store. One thing. And that was that Joyce was seeing the funny side of things again and was no longer complaining, but actually fighting to keep back a laugh. The downside for Giles was that he was actually there at all. 

Not many husbands actually did go on the maternity wear shop with their wives, but due to the crazy unpredictable mood Joyce had been in lately none of the girls had been willing to go with her, and Giles knew for sure that Joyce wouldn't have gone alone since she didn't want to go at all in the first place, so he himself had stepped up to the challenge and offered to go with her himself.

And now he was being lectured on some parent related topic by one of the shop clerks as she piled clothes options for Joyce into his arms. He felt and looked ridiculous.

And it was this that Joyce seemed to be finding so funny. She of course wasn't being given any clothes by the clerk and in fact even had a seat to sit down in while she watched Giles in amusement.

"Ah, I don't think we quite need these," Giles tried to inform the shop assistant but she wasn't quite listening, "Especially as Joyce isn't entirely keen on-"

"I think we have enough to look at for now," Joyce said to the clerk, throwing Giles a life preserver he was heavily grateful for and he sighed in relief as the shop assistant reluctantly left to help (or rather pester) somebody else.

"I deem this highly unnecessary," Giles announced, dropping the pile of clothes onto a nearby chair and as Joyce got a closer look at them she gave the items a look of pure disdain. They were undeniably frilly and so very not-Joyce it was unbearable.

"I am _not_ trying those on," She wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"Yes you bloody well are," was Rupert's instant reply. After listening to the clerk rant on to him about things he shouldn't have Joyce doing- such as drinking caffeine, eating any pork products, standing on her feet for periods longer than ten minutes- while giving him item after item to hold, he was damned determined that Joyce was going to try on the clothes for his patient efforts. However at this comment Joyce just threw him a challenging, unimpressed look that clearly said 'what did you just say? Do you dare repeat it?'

"Please Joyce," He said in a gentler tone, "We don't have to actually buy any...just an effort to be ventured perhaps"

Joyce nodded reluctantly, but still looked unhappy as she glanced over at the empty changing rooms that at least were private enough to have doors with locks rather than a curtain to pull across.

"It's just..."

"Just what?" Giles asked, crouching down on the floor so he was eye level with Joyce.

"Over five months ago, if we'd had an option to go into a changing room like that you'd have dragged me in there and had me half way to Happy Land by now," Joyce sighed, "Instead you have me trying on clothes that Laura Ashley would be ashamed of"

Giles was thoroughly taken aback. Joyce's comment could not have been more unpredictable and he had no idea why she had suddenly thought to bring sex into the entire thing. The doctor had told Giles that the further along in the pregnancy Joyce became the stronger the tendency would be to have mood swings. He hadn't however warned him of how random and unpredictable Joyce's chosen topics of conversation would become. Then again, it was better than what the Doctor had also warned him about- something that was sometimes referred to as Pre-natal depression, when the later stages of pregnancy cause the mother to become extremely down and depressed. Somehow, he thankfully didn't ever see Joyce going that way.

"Let me understand this," Giles said slowly, "You're not so much upset because of the clothes you have to try on, but rather...because I won't have sex with you in a public place?"

Joyce averted her gaze so she didn't have to look him in the eyes.

"Maybe...no," She answered, "I don't know."

"Joyce, we're not teenagers anymore- even temporarily," He said to her, "I don't think we would-" She just gave him an even look, "Okay maybe sometimes, under certain circumstances we would have, but things change-"

"Exactly," Joyce suddenly agreed but it was an unhappy agreement, "...you don't find me attractive anymore"

Anya had warned him about this. Anya of all people.

"What? That's ridiculous" Rupert told her, "How can you even say that?"

"Isn't that what you think?" She asked him, her eyes searching and Giles saw an insecurity there he hadn't known existed and somehow he thought he understood.

"Joyce, when you were pregnant with Buffy...did Hank...?"

"He wandered," Joyce admitted quietly and tightly, "If that's what you're asking." She sighed, "He tried...but he was...he could be quite shallow. And when I put on weight he found it very hard to keep his attentions away...from slimmer parties so to speak"

"Joyce, I would never- I could never-" Rupert struggled to say what he was trying to without it sounding too cliché or accidentally empty so instead he settled for the more obvious approach to showing he still found her attractive- by kissing her fiercely on the mouth. The sudden contact caused Joyce some surprise and she didn't immediately open her mouth in response, but a split moment later and she closed her eyes, engaging fully into the kiss that was so involved that Joyce thought Rupert was giving it as a replacement for changing room sex. And in fact when she eventually pulled away she was slightly out of breath.

"Most people prove a point with words," She half-smiled, attempting to lighten an overly serious moment, but he could see there was relief in her eyes. The only thing he didn't understand was why that relief needed to be put there in the first place.

"I still don't understand why the point needed to be proven," He told her, "I..." He trailed off as the couple suddenly developed the intense feeling of being watched and they glanced around to see a couple of nearby customers and shop assistants staring at them, no doubt since their impromptu kiss-a-thon. "Erm," Giles cleared his throat self-consciously, "This is a, uh, private conversation if you will"

"Try having it somewhere private then," A woman immediately retorted and Giles sighed, resigning to carry on the conversation regardless and hope the small crowd would soon lose interest. As he carried on talking, he found they thankfully did.

"Joyce, I don't understand how you can think for one moment that I'd-"

"Do we have to buy the clothes?" She asked, cutting him off mid-sentimentality.

"Pardon?"

She leaned over to him, speaking in his ear in a quiet, conspiratorial way.

"Can't we just leave? And leave them behind?"

When he looked at her questioningly, as though to double check he understood what she requested, she merely smiled back at him, so much more relaxed than she had been the past couple of days. Was that really what had been on her mind all this time? That was all that had been plaguing her thoughts? That he didn't find her attractive anymore? God, the divorce had done so much more damage to her than she ever let on. There were insecurities there that she seemed to keep almost permanently hidden, ones he himself wasn't even to know about. How could one single man cause another person so much...pain? Giles knew that he himself had caused Joyce enough unnecessary pain over the years, things he was eternally regretful for, but he was sure he hadn't marked her with the emotional insecurity...scars that Hank had evidently left behind.

"Why not?" He finally said in reply, shoving his complicated and overtaking thoughts aside and Joyce smiled thankfully at his agreement.

"Thank God," She rolled her eyes, "Let's go,"

* * *

As the two slid into the seats of the car that had been waiting patiently for them in the car park, Giles realized he couldn't let the mini confession in the store go. Not starting the car, he turned to Joyce with purpose and she frowned in confusion. 

"What?" She asked bluntly.

"Joyce-"

Joyce knew he was going to bring something deeply serious if he was saying her name in that way. Every time he started a serious or deep topic of discussion with her, he always started with her name and it was always in that same tone. She sighed and waited for him to continue.

"-why do you keep thinking things of me such as what you what mentioned in the store?"

"Huh?" Joyce frowned further, she couldn't even make sense of the question she'd been asked.

"It's just that, it simply appears that you, at repeated times in our relationship, seem to suddenly and unexpectedly expect the worst of me" Rupert explained.

"No, I don't, of course I don't," Joyce immediately protested, but Rupert shook his head in argument.

"Yes you do," He told her, not wishing to bring up examples but being forced to nonetheless, "At Buffy's prom you seemed to question whether or not I would be 'staying around', when Olivia arrived at my flat a couple of years ago you immediately feared the worst- not to mention you felt quite uncomfortable not knowing about my life in England in a way that now I reflect upon it wasn't just simple interest." Rupert saw that Joyce was no longer looking him in the eye, but rather gazing down at her own lap, "so...why?"

Joyce didn't answer. She just remained silent, staring into her lap, or the part of her lap that wasn't obscured by the bump.

"Joyce...?" Giles prompted kindly and she sighed in resignation.

"I-I have...trust issues, okay?" She finally told him, but apparently Rupert didn't deem this a suitable enough answer.

"I _had_ gathered that much, the question is why...with me? I admit I haven't been the most perfect of-"

"No, you've been great," She interrupted him immediately with reassurances, "You've been wonderful"

"Then, why...?" Rupert questioned, not actually being fully sure of the question he wanted to ask, but the look Joyce gave him gave him the answer anyway and he sighed, "Joyce...you can't. You can't keep comparing and contrasting me with Hank. It isn't simple and it doesn't work that way. Not to mention it's slightly unfair on me" He added.

"I can't help it," She told him, voice slightly louder as her emotions ran a little higher, "Some part of me always..." She exhaled, unaware that she had been holding her breath in the first place, "I think...that maybe that is, how my marriage with Hank went, is how marriages go, no matter what I do. Or maybe it was me that made the marriage go that way-maybe I wasn't enough, maybe I didn't...and...and," She couldn't look Rupert in the eye, "And I compare constantly to make sure..." Another world-weary sigh, "to make sure that I'm not, I'm not making the same mistakes again. That you and I aren't going down the same path as me and Hank"

For a moment, Rupert simply didn't know what to say.

"Joyce, I won't pretend to understand in the slightest why you believe anything of what happened with Hank was your own fault. You've always been a wonderful Mother to Buffy and Dawn, and at the slight risk at sounding entirely cliché you can't be anyone but yourself in a relationship...and if that wasn't enough for ah, for you and Hank then it's through no fault of your own" Rupert tried to catch her eye but she would only glance up for a second before looking back down at her lap, so he continued anyway "Now, I'm not going to lie and say marriage isn't hard or without its struggles and difficulties as we both know that isn't true. But I will say that no matter what happens to us, we won't go the 'same way as you and Hank'. We won't."

"But-" Joyce began to protest, but looking into her eyes so she felt unable to break eye contact, he spoke over her.

"We won't," He insisted, "i would never, ever uh, ah-"

"Cheat?" She filled in and he nodded.

"I would never cheat," He assured her, "And as for attraction, I'm afraid I will have to admit that even if we do end up going our separate ways, I doubt I would ever cease to find you attractive"

She smiled a small smile that she couldn't hold back and he returned it, glad he had reassured her and cheered her up in the process.

"Believe me, it's what caused me trouble in the past," He added and she looked at him in interest.

"What do you mean?" She asked, keen for details.

"Well we did meet a considerable amount of times before we ah, had 'our first night on the town' so-to-speak. And the fact that you were ah, pleasant to one's eye did not escape my attention...unfortunately"

"Unfortunately?" Joyce teased and Giles saw all the worries of before brushed away completely, it was a complete transformation. One he sincerely hoped would never transform back.

"Well, I have to say it did make me decidedly uncomfortable considering your daughter is the Slayer. I dreaded her ever finding out I had ever given you so much as the eye," He admitted and Joyce smiled even wider.

"She does instill that fear in people," She agreed, "I thought it was a Slayer thing, but erm...Dawn has the same ability"

Giles didn't bother to mention that maybe the edge of unvoiced threat was in fact A Joyce Thing.

"Well, I suppose we both have jobs to get to," He finally said and Joyce sighed.

"Guess so." It wasn't that she didn't want to go to work, rather she didn't want to _have_ to go to work, "Work, Parker," She smiled in a British Accent that caused Rupert to raise an eyebrow.

"That was rather good," He informed her as they pulled away from the maternity wear store.

"It was only two words," Joyce reasoned, "And I hear you talk often enough"

"I'll choose to not take that as an insult," He told her semi-lightly, while thinking to himself that even though he knew Joyce's marriage worries, would unfortunately never leave her, he hoped they were no longer at the forefront of her mind.

* * *

Darkness had fallen when Giles finally made his way home. He'd been at the shop till the very final hours due to the fact Anya had left with Xander for the airport to pick up some of his relatives and apparently, some of her demons also. Giles didn't like to think on that fact too much as it gave him a feeling of intense dread related to the wedding. He just couldn't see how things could go smoothly when one invited soulless, bloodthirsty demons to the reception, it just didn't work. The entire concept was making his whole world and it's rules and morals dissolve around him. 

As he pushed open the front door to his home he took solace in the fact that this was the one steady place in his entire life. Sure it had it's ups and downs as any home life but there was never anything out of-

"Giles," Riley Finn smiled from his seat on the sofa next to an unfamiliar woman of a similar age.

-place.

"Riley," Giles said but it came out more of a interrogative than a declarative and he turned to Joyce questioningly who was sat on the chair next to the one Buffy and Willow were sharing.

"Erm, Rupert...look who's here," She said unhelpfully, clearly as thrown by the situation as he was. In fact, looking around, the situation apparently called for a sea of shocked faces.

Anya and Xander were stood together near the fireplace, Xander looking thrown while his fiancée only looked slightly intrigued by the arrival. Dawn was doing her best to look unimpressed, clearly unhappy with Riley over his abrupt departure. Tara was stood next to the chair Buffy and Willow were sharing, but looked without expression as the situation itself didn't effect her too much. Her girlfriend however looked almost as stunned as Buffy. Joyce merely looked confused.

"It's Riley," Joyce continued, stating this fact as though it had escaped Giles completely, "...and his wife...Sam," She added and Giles was even more stunned than before as he looked over at the married couple.

"Guess we both got hitched," Riley smiled uncomfortably, nerves evident in his posture.

"The difference being you knew about mine," Giles replied smoothly, before getting straight to the point, "Not to sound rude or blunt, but why exactly are you here?"

"Sam and I have been tracking a Suvolte demon from Central America," Riley immediately replied in full Initiative Mode, "Killing machine. Nearly mature"

"Three months old and growing fast," Sam added and Giles nodded in agreement.

"Yes, they fully mature at five months"

"Which is why we need to catch it fast," Riley said seriously, "From the moment they hatch they start killing, maiming-" He paused as his eyes fell on Dawn, "Dawnie, are you sure you want to be hearing this?"

"Ah, c'mon Finn," Sam said to Riley while looking over at Dawn, "She looks all grown-up to me." She turned to Joyce, "I mean if it's okay with you"

"I-uh," Joyce stumbled, thrown by being immediately put on the spot. Usually a question like this didn't cause a pause for thought; Dawn wasn't to hear these sorts of things, end of. But Mrs Finn had a quality about her that was disarming, and you found it hard to disagree with her. "I don't know..."

"Please," Dawn asked her Mom, "I am _so_ grown-up enough,"

Joyce sighed in resignation, realizing it was a losing battle.

"Fine, but only for a little bit. If it gets too graphic then you go to your room, no arguments, understand?" Joyce laid out her conditions and Dawn, proud to be considered a grown up no matter how temporarily, nodded in agreement immediately, before turning to look at Riley and Sam.

"So these demons shredded your guys and now you're looking for a little payback?"

"_Dawn,_" Joyce immediately reprimanded and her daughter sulked.

"It came to the Hellmouth to spawn," Sam explained, "Make a nest, lay it's eggs, hatch a bunch of baby hostiles"

"Well, no problem," Xander announced, "so track the demon, find the nest, Mr and Mrs Finn here make with the killin' everyone goes home happy," He took a seat beside the newlyweds, "But seriously married man, we need a second opinion- and the only other married couple around here had their wedding accidentally turned into a supernatural fiasco- but forced to choose between a photographer or place settings-"

"We can't track the demon," Buffy mumbled, cutting Xander off, "I killed it...okay so who's hungry?"

"You killed the demon?" Giles asked.

"Well, it was getting all violent...you know like demons do..." Buffy explained, squirming in her chair in embarrassment.

"Buffy it's a good thing you killed the Suvolte, before it killed us," Sam told her kindly, before turning to Xander, "Disposable cameras"

"a-deh-huh?" Xander frowned, but Anya was immediately intrigued.

"Disposable cameras?" She asked and Sam nodded.

"Yeah, y'know the little plastic ones? Ten bucks a pop, arrange them like table settings, guests snap photos- it breaks the ice and when it's over you get to keep the pictures"

Anya looked as though she considered Sam the Goddess of Wedding Planners.

"I love it," She told her before looking at Xander enthusiastically, "Let's do that"

Giles cleared his throat.

"Perhaps if it's not too much trouble, we could return our attention to this rather alarming news that there is a Suvolte demon spawning in Sunnydale"

"Yeah," Buffy agreed, looking uncomfortable as she spotted Riley and Sam comfortably holding hands the way couples in love tended to do. In fact, as she thought on it she saw Anya and Xander were doing the same thing as were her Mom and Giles. Marvelous. Well, this was certainly a mood booster, "So demon eggs, we got a timetable on when they're gonna hatch?"

"Hatching's not the problem," Riley told her and his wife elaborated.

"We think the eggs will be sold on the black market. There's some foreign military powers that'd love to have their own Suvolte"

"Like the Initiative...?" Joyce asked carefully.

"If it were still around it'd definitely be on the list," Riley agreed, "But there's government organizations that we don't even know about fully...but they'd definitely be into the demon market stuff. These eggs- they'd love em. I mean you can never train a Suvolte but..."

"Drop it on an urban population..." Sam finished with a wince, "And it...well..."

"Cleanses the area," Riley selected his choice of words very carefully.

"Is that a nice way of saying it kills people?" Dawn asked.

"Lots of them," Sam confirmed and Joyce started to look uncomfortable about Dawn's presence there in the conversation.

"Honey maybe...maybe this is too much," She decided, "Why don't you go to your room. Call Janice or something?"

Dawn let out a frustrated sigh, but knew it would be pointless arguing so she just rolled her eyes in typical teenage fashion before walking out of the room and headed upstairs. Sam waited till Dawn was gone out of the room completely before she carried on.

"Anyway, there's a dealer in town, calls himself 'the doctor'. Willow- think you could help out with a little locating spell?"

There was an uncomfortable tension throughout the room and it was Will that spoke first.

"I don't know...I can't really do...a lot of magics anymore...I can only do little things. Tara would be better"

"Not I'm doubting how great you are Tara at the magics," Sam said, "But Riley told me Willow was coming on to being a major league Wicca"

"I got addicted," Willow told her bluntly, "The way addicts do. Trust me- Tara's better for you" She got up out of her seat and headed into the kitchen. Tara rushed after her.

"Willow-"

"Oh god," Sam winced, "I really put my foot in it didn't I?" she asked and the silence she was met with was clearly translated as 'yes'. "I'd better..." She got up and headed into the kitchen after Willow and Tara, leaving the group behind in awkward silence.

"Well..." Riley said uncomfortably as he tried to break the tension, "So much has gone on here in Sunnydale. Though why I would expect any different" He smiled and it was met mildly by the others.

"Well...a lot can happen in over a year," Anya told him bluntly, but not at all in a nasty way. Riley knew she was just stating it as it was.

"Yeah," He nodded in agreement, "I'm feeling that. I mean you and Xander are getting hitched," He turned to Giles and Joyce, "You two have already tied the knot and erm...Dawn's not going to be the baby of the family anymore. That must be a bummer for her"

"Not really," Everyone else in the room said in chorus just as Sam, Willow and Tara came back into the room, looking as though their problems had been resolved, at least slightly and Riley started issuing orders. The final conclusion being Tara, Buffy, Sam and Riley actually doing something to help while the others...were left hanging. Though considering the day/week they were all having the remaining taskless few were rather relieved. Particularly Anya and Xander who had to get home and check their families weren't ripping each other apart.

* * *

Amazingly, within two hours the entire 'mission' was complete and the Finns were getting ready to leave. 

"I actually thought it was gonna take longer," Dawn admitted as she and her Mom followed the others to the sidewalk outside the magic box.

"Yeah, me-" Joyce paused mid-agreement as she realized the only way for Dawn to have that thought was for her to have known what was going on and what the plan had been, "Dawn- were you listening in?"

"Just a little..." Dawn mumbled in admittance before running over to stand beside Willow and Tara.

"Think we can have Xander work on sound-proofing our entire house?" Joyce asked as she stood beside Rupert.

"Pardon?" He asked, completely flummoxed by this random question.

"Never mind," She told him, "I'll explain later"

A small wind picked up in the area, but it quickly built up to a deafening gale that whipped everybody's hair about in a extremely frustrating way. And for added annoyance, bright search lights shined down on them, blinding them all.

"So," Dawn turned to look at Riley evenly, "Are you gonna actually say goodbye this time or just split all secret agenty like last time?"

"Depends," Riley told her, "Do I warrant a hug?"

Dawn just glared at him, but when he looked genuinely hurt yet acceptive of this response she relented and hugged him.

"Goodbye Dawn," He told her with a smile.

"Thought it would suck less this time," She told him, "Doesn't"

"It was great meeting you all," Sam said as a harness was lowered down to them from the helicopter, "Ready for Nepal agent?"

"Firefights...bug hunts...big body count..." Riley reasoned, "Yeah, I could use a break" He smiled as he attached the harness to his own vest and held onto Sam very tightly so she would be taken up with him and the two were whisked up and away leaving the group from Sunnydale on the ground waving goodbye up to them all.

"Are you okay?" Joyce asked Buffy and Buffy kept her gaze on Riley and his wife as she answered the question.

"Yeah..." She seemed to contemplate her own answer, considering it's own meaning, before realizing she really was, "Yeah...I am"

Nevertheless, okay or not she still leant into her Mom for a much-needed hug.

* * *

"We're just friends,"

Joyce was on the sofa, suffering from a mild case of insomnia when she heard Buffy's voice and she turned to see her daughter walking into the living room, having just come home.

"What?"

"We're just friends," Buffy repeated, taking a seat beside her Mom, "Me and Spike. Now. We're just friends"

Joyce wasn't sure what to say, she didn't even know whether there was anything _to_ say to this announcement. Although the first thought that came to her mind personally was 'good'.

"He can help me...sometimes and sometimes he can be a nice guy...he can," Buffy seemed to be talking as though she was trying to win an argument that she wasn't even having, "But...sleeping...I was using him. And it made me feel good for a moment, but afterwards...? The bad feeling just didn't go away. And it was killing me."

Joyce had a look of understanding but still there was nothing to say. Still she remained silent.

"So we're just friends," Buffy concluded, "...just friends..."


	23. Hell's Bells

rabidreject- Thanks for the review. And yes, here is Hell's Bells. I think it's kinda from here on out we get to see how much having Joyce amd Rupert around really has effected the storyline. And you'll find out the big bad soon (But the more important thing is how the big bad is stopped, me thinks), just as we will be seeing a return of the Troika in the next chapter.

g120- Thanks for the review and thank you for being so willing patient. Love ya for it. And thanks so much for your character development comment. Meant so much to me. It just makes me feel all satisfied in the writery-sense when you guys say things like that, like I've done something right (ah those remnants of high school teachings...haha). And yes, essays. Waste of time. They are just a teacher/tutor/professor's cheaty way to get out of actual tasks and assignments and just having a simple essay to read. Takes up way too much of **my **time though. haha

Zigpal- thanks for review, claps et al. And ah, well Joyce isn't completely convinced of the Just Friends deal and well...Spike's just confused. haha. Poor Spikey. Anyhoo, hope you like this chapteryness.

By the way- just wanted to thank you three for the reviewyness you've given me over the past...yee gods seven months (i've been writing this for seven months?!). Reviewers may come and go, but you three last a life time. Just wanted to say how much it's appreciated, I love your feedback.

Anyway, so on with the show.

* * *

A/N: The Giles-buying-wedding-flowers thing was something I added in because it was in the original script but got edited out. It was the reason why he wasn't there in the episode- like he was fighting some demon in england so couldn't make so, since Anya and Xander couldn't afford them, he sent them aaaaall the flowers you see. Course, in reality Tony was just spending some well-needed time with Sarah and the kids, bless 'im.

* * *

"I can't...I can't do this," Buffy said in horror, "After all...everything we've all been through, it's just too much" 

"Buffy it's not that bad," Joyce said, but her daughter and Willow were thoroughly unconvinced.

"Not that bad?" Buffy asked, "Glory's minions had better taste"

"It's just so green...and frilly..." Willow said in disgust as she and Buffy looked in the mirror at the green atrocities they wore; their bridesmaid dresses.

"It's just for one day," Joyce told them, feeling unbelievably comfortable in her own wedding outfit. Willow had pulled through completely on the maternity wear front and had linked to a site that only sold the latest in fashionable, casual maternity wear but also evening wear- and it was that which Joyce was wearing now. Golds, whites and beiges abundant; there wasn't a pink or lemon pastel color to be seen anywhere and her sleek and trendy outfit was completely frill free. Which was more than could be said for the bridesmaids outfits.

"You're right," Buffy nodded in agreement, "It's just one day...and it's my duty. I'm Buffy the Bridesmaid"

"Duty schmooty," Willow scoffed, "I'm s'posed to be best man. Shouldn't I be all Marlene Dietrichy in a dashing tuxedo number?"

"Doesn't work that way I'm afraid," Joyce informed her as she took a seat on Buffy's bed. Yes, she'd got to that stage where standing for too long became a pain. A literal pain. She refused to personally acknowledge that that meant soon the accompanying back pain would also be starting. And at this very moment she was dealing with it all on her lonesome. As at her own wedding the two parties had been divided between her own house and Xander's with the women getting ready here and the men getting prepared at Giles' former flat. Which meant said Giles wasn't here. He was at Xander's and as loathe as she was to admit feeling needy, but she really wanted Rupert back. Here. With her. Doing the mollycoddling thing she usually complained about.

"Plus, it would be totally unfair," Buffy added, not taking her eyes away from her and Willow's ghastly reflection, "We all must participate equally in the cosmic joke that is bridesmaid-dom"

"Hey, I thought you liked being a bridesmaid," Joyce protested since both her daughters had been bridesmaids at her own wedding.

"Yeah, well we wore normal dresses at yours," Buffy retorted and Joyce couldn't argue that fact because, honestly, the dresses were just horrid. Dawn had yet, in fact, to put hers on and was remaining in her room looking at the dress as though it were a demon about to jump her. Tara was in there with her, trying to convince her to get dressed.

"What was Anya thinking?" Willow asked.

"I think she's a little preoccupied right now," Joyce reasoned as she thought back on the rehearsal dinner from the previous night.

"Oh my god, the rehearsal dinner," Willow said as she slipped on her shoes, reading Joyce's thoughts, "It was like a zoo...without the table manners. And I bet it got worse after we left..."

"They were just a mess," Buffy added, putting on her own green shoes, "Yelling at each other, insulting one another...it was crazy"

"And they all kept touching my stomach," Joyce grumbled the addage, "demons and humans. Do you know how weird it feels to have _tentacles_ placed on your stomach?" She asked them with a shiver at the memory, "My belly is not public property"

"And I'm sure D'Hoffryn got that message when you said if he touched it again he'd be left to pull back a bloody stump," Buffy told her, "He's a demon who can obliterate you with his thoughts. It was pure dumb luck that he has sympathy for pregnant women"

"Only because statistically they are the women most likely to call for vengeance," Willow said, but grinned, "It was funny though how Giles got all panicky when you said it. I thought he was going to have a heart attack or aneurysm...or both"

"Oh," The sound of Anya caused them all to look in the direction of the doorway where the bride stood in a bathrobe looking at Willow and Buffy in shock, "You two...look so beautiful" Beside herself with joy she pulled two of her bridesmaids into a warm hug, "This is the happiest day of my life"

The comment was punctuated by a flash of lightening, a loud crack thunder and then the sound of torrential downpour.

* * *

"So,it's about pain and loss?" Xander asked as his Aunt Carol ranted to him about the ways of marriage. 

"It can be" She told him 'knowingly'.

"Well, that's just fine and I gotta be somewhere else..." Xander took a quick exit and went to wander away from his aunt, but apparently she wasn't done lecturing him yet and she followed on, continuing to talk.

"No, no, no, I'm saying it wrong," She told him "I'm not saying you guys shouldn't get hitched. I'm saying just don't built castles on the sand. Coz that's when life hits you with the big sack of crap and your heart breaks like a china doll"

"Mmm..." Xander tried to act like he was considering her words, when he was doing anything but, "Thanks, Carol,"

"Next thing you know you're trying to find a man who'll date a divorcée with a kid," She told him "Guess what? No such animal," She pointed out Giles across the room, who was presently trying to stop Xander's Uncle Rory from saying something to one of Anya's demons, "I asked him before, in a casual way of course, and he just said an outright 'no'. See? Divorcée with a kid- instant turn off"

"But, Carol, that's exactly what Giles did," Xander explained, really wanting to exit this conversation as quickly as possible and find his cuff links, "Except the woman had two kids. _That's _why he's saying no. He's already married"

"Oh," Carol flushed with embarrassment, "Whoops. I feel such an...he really did that?" She asked in keen interest and Xander nodded, and seemingly given a new perspective on things, Carol stopped lecturing Xander on the downfall of marriage. Thank god. Now free, Xander headed over to Giles and Rory.

"Any of you guys see my cuff links?" He asked, "Little metal deals, hold my sleeves together?"

"I believe your Aunt Carol is wearing them as earrings," Giles informed him and Xander just frowned in pure confusion.

"What? Really?" When Giles nodded in confirmation Xander sighed and rolled his eyes before walking back over to his aunt, "Carol, you're _wearing_ my cuff links!"

"Scuse folks! Comin through," one of the wartier ones of Anya's demon acquaintances said as he headed towards the fridge, oblivious to the long hard suspicious looks the Harrises were giving him.

"If you're looking for a beverage I'm afraid you're left with either coffee or tap water," Giles informed him standing aside so the demon could look for himself.

"What? Really?" He asked, "Aw, man. I'm off to the corner store!" He informed everyone, "I'm getting me some OJ"

"You know her lot then?" Rory asked Giles, suspicion in his tone and expression.

"Pardon?"

"I mean, you seem pretty comfortable with a bunch of freaks," He said bluntly and when Giles didn't initially respond he merely murmured, "Circus folk my ass..."

Giles was saved ever having to reply by the sound of Xander's parents arriving. Soaked from the Californian downpour outside, the two squelched as they walked and they shook off their wet umbrellas, sending rain sprinkles everywhere.

"Damn it, aren't you ready yet?" Anthony Harris asked in impatient annoyance, "Should I go move the car?"

Jessica took out her compact from her purse and immediately started checking her reflection.

"Oh my, look at my hair. Of course I'm sure I won't be in any of the pictures." She added for Xander's benefit and her son rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"You'll be in the pictures Mom"

"I'm not so sure," She replied, "I mean we're not even in the correct seats at the table are we? Our place has been...usurped by him and his wife," Jessica nodded in the direction of Giles who, now put in an uncomfortable spot light, left the room without another word.

"Mom," Xander tried to explain his decision, but beyond saying 'you've been bad parents' there wasn't much to say, "just trust me. You'll be in the pictures"

* * *

"The flowers look beautiful," Joyce said in greeting as she and Giles saw each other for the first time in their nightmare morning. "you have good taste..." She looked around, "In fact you have a gay man's taste" 

"Thank you," Giles told her satirically and she smiled.

"You know what I mean," She told him before kissing him briefly, "I'm just glad they got to actually have flowers"

"Me too," He agreed. Xander's parents had funded almost the entire event, with a little help from Xander and Anya. However even with collaborated funds there had been some things they still couldn't afford, including flowers which Anya had stated were vital to any wedding, and that's when Giles had stepped in and paid for all the flower arrangements much to Anya's glee.

"I look like an asparagus," Dawn said bluntly as she came up to them. She was looking down at her acid-green dress in hateful disbelief.

"It's not that bad," Joyce laughed and her daughter just gave her a look that said 'yeah right', "Okay, it's not perfect perhaps. But as I said to Buffy and Willow- I'm sure you can manage it one day. For Anya and Xander?"

"Fine," Dawn grumbled, "If you're gonna use guilt" She wandered off to do the task she had been designated to by Anya- meeting and greeting the guests

"So how was your morning?" Joyce asked Rupert as the two took a seat on one of of nearby chairs.

"Well, I met a wide variety of Xander's family, one of which asked me if I'd ever been a butler," Giles' smile was a tight one as he explained this, but Joyce's was genuine as she giggled slightly.

"Really? I don't-" Joyce said but Rupert nodded in confirmation, "Well, the majority of my morning was spent trying to convince Dawn that she should put on her bridesmaid dress. Also, trying to tell Anya that coffee would only make her more giddy and excited. Tara and Willow are in one of the back rooms with her right now, trying to get her to stand still for one moment so they can put her dress on"

"I don't remember our wedding being as hectic or complicated,"Rupert said, looking around at the potential carnage.

"That was a joke- right?" Joyce asked and when he said no, she laughed in disbelief, "Rupert, at our wedding Willow accidentally cast a spell that caused every couple in the wedding party to begin arguing constantly, then _I _called off the wedding and ran away"

"Oh, right," Giles nodded in realization, "Good point. But it all worked out great in the end" he added.

"Yes it did," Joyce agreed, before leaning in for another kiss.

* * *

"Hymen's greetings!" D'Hoffryn boomed as he arrived and Dawn smiled a tight, confused smile in reply. 

"Hy- what?!"

"Hymen- the god of matrimony!" He explained enthusiastically, "His salutations upon you! May the love we celebrate today avoid an almost inevitable decline!"

"Cool," Dawn said simply and the vengeance demon immediately adopted a lot more casual tone as he held up a wedding present.

"I brought a gift. I suppose there's a table..." He said as Halfrek walked up beside him.

"Oh," Dawn said sourly, "Halfrek. Hi"

"Please! Call me Hallie now! We're practically family!"

"Neat," Dawn said, meaning anything but, as she turned her attention back to D'Hoffryn, "I can put that on the table for you-" she told him, taking the parcel.

"Be careful it's-"

"Fragile?" Dawn guessed and he shook his head.

"Squirmy," He corrected her just as a slithery tentacle poked out of one of the air holes.

"So Dawnie how is everything?" Hallie asked, putting an arm around Dawn, leading her back into the main reception area with D'Hoffryn close behind them, "Going good? Nothing you _wish_ were different...?"

"Hallie, for Yekk's sake," D'Hoffryn said in exasperation, "take a day off. We're not here to do vengeance, we're here to mingle." At this he spotted Joyce on the opposite side of the room, sat with her husband and the demon headed over to the couple.

"...and she was wearing the cuff links as earrings," Giles was saying as D'Hoffryn reached the couple.

"Hymen's greetings," He smiled at them.

"D'Hoffryn," Joyce said evenly, too annoyed at the demon to consider the surreality of the fact she was giving the cold shoulder to a powerful demon just like he was a woman she disliked at work. Oh yes, their lives were so very different from other people's.

"Mrs Giles," D'Hoffryn said formally, "I'm afraid we got off onto rather a wrong foot yesterday," He attempted to laugh jovially and casually but since he had a pure demonic visage this made it hard to achieve without a subversive freak factor.

"You might say that." She agreed and Giles watched the two warily, deeply concerned that Joyce was going to set D'Hoffryn off. Sure, out of respect for Anya, he wasn't all evil-doing for the wedding but if a mere mortal woman pushed him too far there was no telling what he might do.

"I have to say your threat to me yesterday was quite an impressive use of imagery," D'Hoffryn informed her, "In fact I'm trying to get one of my friends to depict it in abstract form. Go lovely on my wall. But that's beside the point. What I mean to say is, I should have asked your permission before hand. Though to incur pregnancy wrath is quite something to behold, I'd rather channel it than be the one causing it," He told her, with a slight smile, "So now that that's settled, would you mind?" He gestured to put his hand upon her stomach and Joyce looked at the blue, gnarled, clawed hand with a grimace. She really didn't want _that_ going anywhere near her skin, or anywhere near her at all, but what else was she supposed to say? She grimaced slightly before nodded in reluctant agreement, and D'Hoffryn reached out to put his demonic hand upon her womb. After a moment however he pulled away in his own disgust, "Argh, you didn't say you were carrying a Slayer"

"Didn't I?" Joyce asked innocently, ignoring the thought that she hadn't even known that D'Hoffryn could tell that Lily was a Slayer, or at least a potential at this point.

"No, you didn't," He told her firmly, "Can't stand the damn things. Well, I must go mingle"

And on that note, the vengeance demon headed off into the crowd, leaving Joyce and Giles extremely bemused. Joyce looked down at her stomach with a grimace before turning to Rupert.

"Washroom now please," She pleaded referring to the slight blueness D'Hoffryn had left on her skin and until it was washed off she couldn't pull her top back down completely.

* * *

As Buffy had just finished with fitting Xander into his cummerbund she walked along the corridor back to the wedding parry and bumped right into a lonely Spike. She had known he had been invited by Anya, but to actually have him here in front of her was a lot more awkward than she thought it was going to be. Sure when she'd told him that she just wanted to be friends, that's all she could have from him, he had been accepting of the fact, but she knew he wasn't happy about it. And this awkward silence just proved it. 

"Spike," She nodded in greeting with a small smile.

"Buffy," He replied, looking around at everything but her, "Some do eh?"

"Some do..." She nodded in awkward agreement, looking down at her green shoes.

"So what's the bet one of the Harrises are gonna lose a limb to one of Anya's demons by the end of the day?" He asked casually as a topic of conversation and Buffy smiled a little more, relieved by the fact a little of the tension had drifted away.

"I say it'll be Mr Harris,"

* * *

"Giles! Giles!" Dawn ran over to her Mom and Giles in a panic, "One of Xander and Anya's presents escaped!" 

"Escaped?!" Giles exclaimed in horror, immediately getting up in panic.

"I tried to tell Xander but some old guy dragged him away," Dawn explained, "And now I can't find it. It was from D'Hoffryn"

"Oh lord..." Giles sighed, turning back to Joyce a moment, "I'll just be-"

"As long as it takes?" Joyce filled in and he nodded in agreement before letting Dawn lead the way.

Left to her own devices, Joyce looked around at the entire contents of the wedding- the majority being arguing guests. The Harrises and the demons really weren't getting along, worse still, weren't even trying to.

As she craned her neck to look over at the door, through which she could see pouring rain still persistently coming down, to see if any more guests were arriving she saw Xander run over to the door, panic in his eyes. He took one last glance at the entire wedding party and with the expression of a man resigned to an awful fate, ran out of the doors and away from his own wedding.

It took Joyce a moment to consider what to do next, before she forced herself to get up and follow Xander out.

* * *

Xander was so confused, he didn't know what he wanted to do. He was so lost in his thoughts he didn't even feel the rain pouring down on him, flattening his dark hair to his scalp. Those visions his older self had shown him...they had been so horrifying. How could he have brought so much pain to Anya? The woman he loved? No, he knew how. His own Father had done it to his Mother hadn't he? So why shouldn't he be like Father like son? No, he couldn't do that to Anya. He couldn't. Wouldn't. 

"Xander!"

His thoughts had been so much on his fiancée that for a moment he thought it was Anya calling his name, but more sensical thoughts informed him that it was Joyce shouting for him. He knew she was probably there to stop him walking away, but he couldn't let her, he had to keep on going. So he kept on walking.

"Xander! Stop!" Joyce pleaded but he remained resilient and carried on headed forward through the slowly deepening puddles, "Xander! I am getting wet through- no, I _am_ wet through here- and my hair is starting to come out and I'm cold and pregnant and hormonal so just stop right now!"

Xander stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around to face Joyce. She hadn't been lying- she was absolutely soaked. She'd obviously forgotten to grab a coat or umbrella in her rush to catch up with him and her outfit and herself were drenched and her hair which had been smoothly almost- straigtened this morning and swooped up in a modern French twist was now slowly coming out more and more through the weight of the rain and was returning back to it's original curl. She did not look happy.

"Joyce, go back inside," He told her, "You'll get a cold"

"So will you," She retorted, "I'm not going back inside till you agree to come with me"

"No, I can't," He replied, shaking his head to emphasize the point.

"Why not?"

"Cause I'll just make Anya unhappy," He told her sadly, "I'll make her life a misery"

"You don't know that," She said to him and he walked over to her with purpose.

"Yes. Yes I do." He told her firmly. "You just...you don't know what I'm thinking here. What's going on or-"

"Yes I do," She nodded, "I ran away from my wedding remember? I called it off. Why? Because I was afraid and this is _exactly _the same thing with you here."

"No, it's-"

"Yes it is," She cut him off, "You told me that bad things happen all the time, but you can't let 'em win- that Rupert and I had come too far to stop there. But isn't that exactly what you're doing now? You can't just run away because things _might_ not go well. You have to take that chance...otherwise...what's the point?"

"It's more complicated than that," He told her sadly, but Joyce was unconvinced.

"How?"

"Today, I met someone who showed me the future Anya and I had ahead of us" He explained.

"Who?"

"Myself," He replied, "Myself from about fifty years in the future. And he showed me the awful things that I was going to do to Anya. I'm going to ruin her life"

"How do you know that?" She retorted and he frowned at her.

"I know you aren't always all-knowing on the supernatural front Joyce, but I thought you at least knew what 'visions of the future' meant"

"Yes," She said, giving him a look for the slight dig, "But what I mean is- how can you know that was you showing the visions? Or even that they were visions at all? Rupert's always saying about demons that-"

Realization dawned on Xander's face as he made a connection between what he had seen and Anya.

"Oh god- Anya!" He exclaimed in pain before running back in the direction of the wedding.

* * *

"What is going on?" Giles asked as he and Dawn returned from containing the wedding gift that had gotten loose. When they got back however they found the wedding party unsettled and anxious and there was no sign of the wedding ceremony starting. 

"It's nothing, it's just-" Buffy replied, before Willow caught her attention from the other side of the room, apparently telling her something urgent, "Oh god, be right back"

With no one else to ask Dawn and Giles turned to Spike for answers who was watching the entire scene with minimal interest as though it were a mediocre episode of a mediocre soap opera.

"Spike- what's goin on?" Dawn asked and Spike sighed as though giving the information was going to cause him a ridiculous amount of effort.

"Well, see the groom's gone missing"

"What?" Dawn asked in disbelief, "Xander's-"

"Done a runner on the wedding," Spike filled in, just as Will came running over to the group with Buffy.

"Mom's gone," Buffy said, looking panicked herself now.

"Joyce is gone?" Giles checked in worry, "_And _Xander's missing?"

"Xander's missing?! What do you mean Xander's missing?"

The group turned to see that the bride had overheard everything. She was followed by an apologetic Tara.

The whole crowd fell terribly silent as they listened in to Anya's hysterical words.

"It's a joke!" Uncle Rory suddenly exclaimed into the deathly silence, "He's joking! Like this one time, at one of Carol's weddings, I had this ape suit-"

"Oh good," the demon with the tentacles rolled his eyes, "Another Harris Family Joke"

"Well, hey, buddy, I'm just kidding around," Rory defended himself, "Someone's gotta lighten the mood"

At that exact moment Carol and one of Anya's wartier demon friends stumbled out of the closet, straightening their clothes. Carol looked particularly winded. Anthony, upon seeing this from his permanent seat at the bar, began to laugh at the sight.

"Why not? Beauty and the beast!" He exclaimed, "Or beast and the beast anyway"

"I think you've had enough," The tentacle demon yet again had to play referee.

"Drinking," Anthony Harris replied drunkenly, "is the only way. I can dull the pain. Of looking. At your. Ugly. Face" As he said this he took a few almost-steady steps forward towards the demon, getting in his face.

"You better think about this real hard, Harris," Tentacle Demon told him.

"Don't you touch me with those nasty circus things" Harris retorted pushing the tentacles away, but the demon just poked him again. Anthony responded by punching the demon right in the jaw with a resounding thwack that was like a starting bell for the rest of the wedding party as everyone else broke into a fight.

"Hey break it up!" Buffy exclaimed, jumping into the fray to separate demon from human.

"Has anyone seen Xander?" Anya asked, wandering around and paying no attention to the fight going on, "When did you see Xander last?"

It was Aunt Carol who gave the helpful answer as she pointed out an old guy in a brown trench coat.

"Well, I saw him go into the trophy room with that guy!"

Hearing this, Giles assumed that the man in the trench coat, having seen Xander last, would also know where Joyce had gone also as he very much doubted that it was coincidence that the two of them were missing. However, just as he went to head over to the guy with Anya, one of the more violent Harrises went for Dawn with a off-center left hook and Giles' priorities changed as he grabbed Dawn out of the way and the drunken Harris, having nothing to resist against the punch, toppled over to the floor.

"Dawn, head that way!" He ordered, pushing the teenager to the door to the foyer where everything was very much fight free. Hearing this advice, Tara and Willow also started heading in that direction.

"Ow!" Tara yelped as a demon's tentacle whipped across her arm, leaving a squelch mark on her arm, "Also ewww..."

Spike rushed over and fighting off demons and humans alike helped Tara and Willow away from the brawl. Once everyone was safe, Giles headed over to find out what the old man knew about the disappearance of the groom and Joyce.

"Xander!" Anya was demanding of the man, "Where is he?! You tell me old man, you tell me why he left!"

"Why? He left because of you" The man replied calmly and Giles was thrown. For one, he had no idea what the man meant by the answer and two, if it were true then the fact Joyce was missing wasn't connected to Xander and so...he had no idea where his wife had gone or what had happened to her. Not exactly a comforting thought.

"I-I didn't do anything," Anya protested forlornly.

"Oh really?" The old man sounding thoroughly unconvinced, "What about this?"

Suddenly, the man became to ripple as his form changed and became a huge, tall, hideous, demonic creature.

Amazingly enough, this didn't stop the wedding party from carrying on their brawl.

"You did this" The creature told Anya, "You brought this on"

It shrieked a blood-curdling yell (and this time the fighting guests nearest the scene did stop and look on in horror) and swiped at Anya with it's clawed hand but Giles, in a repeat performance of a moment ago, pulled her out of harm's way just in time.

"Uh-oh," Clem gulped as he took in the entire scene. Buffy, however, working her way through the people still fighting, remained unfortunately oblivious.

Anya was evidently terrified by the sight of the monstrous demon, but in her concern for Xander she refused to back down.

"Tell me what you did with Xander!" When he didn't answer she started beating her tiny fists against his chest in frustration, "What are you?"

"You don't recognize me?" The creature asked.

"No," She replied distractedly, "Now where's Xander?"

"I've waited a long time for this," the creature told her, leaning in close to her face, "_Anyanka"_

"What are you?" Giles asked, attempting to take control of an uncontrollable situation, "How do you know Anya? How-"

"Remember Chicago?" The demon asked Anya, ignoring Giles, "South side, 1914? Stewart Burns? Philanderer?"

Comprehension dawned on Anya's face as she began to realize what was going on.

"You'd think you'd remember," The demon said, "I remember you. But then again, you ruined my life"

"You...I punished you.." Anya said sadly.

"That's right," The once-man nodded in agreement, "Some hussie I'd been taking around summons you and next thing I know I look like this and I'm being tortured in another dimension"

"I...I forgot..."

"Well I didn't," The creature retorted, "Everyday I remembered and everyday I thought about how I would someday get back here and ruin your life the way you ruined mine"

Anya was on the verge of tears, her eyes watering and her voice breaking.

"But how-"

"Black magic," He told her before Anya could even finish her question, "And plenty of time. I practiced and practiced until today. It didn't take much either. I scared off your fiancée with a bunch of phony visions"

"Visions of what?" She asked.

"Your future," The demon replied, "Or his nightmare vision of your future"

"That's all..." Anya said, this alone seemingly causing all the fight to just sigh out of her. It was as though she had nothing left to keep her going. "That's all you did..."

"Oh look at that," The creature looked at the tears pouring down Anya's face and reveled in her misery, "you're crying. Oh I like that"

"S-stop it," She begged sadly, but the demon wouldn't relent.

"Oh cry, Anyanka, cry. I love to see you cry. Now I'd love to see you scream!"

He began to charge at her for the kill, when he was stopped by one of the chairs being thrown at him with enough force to knock him backwards. She went to charge at him, but he immediately grabbed Anya by the throat as a defense.

"Come any closer and I'll kill her!" He warned her, but just at that moment Xander burst through the door. The now bright sunshine burning down outside seemed to backlight him, giving him a dramatic heroic entrance that distracted the demon long enough for Buffy to be able to kick him in the groin.

"Anya!" Xander exclaimed, running over.

"Xander!"

As Buffy and Xander started to fight the demon, determined to have it as the deadest demon in deadonia, Giles glanced back at the door Xander had just walked through, just in time to see Joyce walk through it herself, looking drenched beyond all measure. He immediately ran over to her.

"Joyce where-"

"Cold," She shivered, "Very cold."

"You're wet through," He said sympathetically, pushing her now completely loose and curly wet hair behind her ears before pulling her closer trying to warm her up the quickest way possible. "Where did you go?"

"A-after X-Xander," She was still shivering and punctuated her reply with a completely comical sneeze.

"I'll kill him." He told her, and by his tone of voice she really didn't doubt it.

At that moment, the entire wedding crowd burst into cheers and applause and the couple turned to see what they were applauding at- the demon was dead and Xander and Buffy were stood beside it, clearly the ones behind said death.

"Anyone else waiting for it to go poof?" Willow asked with a frown before brightening as an idea came to her, "Ooh- maybe we can cover it with flowers!"

"I am not paying for this, you freaks," Anthony exclaimed as he surveyed the damage.

"Stop! Calling us! Freaks!" The demon who'd had the closet action with Carol shouted and the fight broke out again.

"STOP IT!!" Anya yelled out, bringing them all to a silent halt mid-brawl, "EVERYONE SIT DOWN! THIS WEDDING WILL GO ON! NOW GET IN YOUR SEATS!"

Without question, everybody did so and while they were waiting for everyone to settle down Anya and Xander, holding hands, stepped aside.

"You know it's bad luck for you to see in my dress," Anya said, attempting to smile her tears away, and Xander smiled weakly back, touching her cheek gently, almost wistfully.

"Hey it's okay," Anya told him, "It's all over. He's dead. You hit him with a chair. And it was all just smoke and mirrors"

"I know" Xander nodded slightly in agreement.

"So we're ready now," Anya smiled, "Let's get married," She grabbed his hand to drag him over to the minister but he stayed stood there, pulling her back and she frowned in puzzlement. "Come on, you're just shaken up..." Her panic and worry was mounting as she could clearly read what was going on in Xander's mind, "Just calm down and we'll start over. Now come on"

Xander looked over at his own parents. His dad had a bloody scratch on his cheek and he was shouting obscenities at his wife while Jessica cried tragically. Xander didn't want to become like that. He didn't want to do that to Anya.

Right next to his parents however were Joyce and Giles who weren't do the shouting thing beyond the fact that Giles was clearly reprimanding Joyce for running out in the rain after Xander. He had taken off his own suit jacket and put it around Joyce in the hopes that it would get her warmer and dryer a little faster and she seemed eternally grateful for it as she looked, presently, completely frozen.

Two complete married couple opposites, side by side. If it hadn't been his own future in the balance Xander would have found time to find the visual amusing. But right now it seemed to mean a lot more to him than funny ironic imagery. Two married couples, both starting off in the same way couples do, but ending up in completely different places. Xander realized that the same went for him and Anya. Sure, he could end up like what he saw in the 'vision', but he could also go the complete opposite and he and Anya could have a happy life together. Forewarned, forearmed after all, right? Joyce was right- he'd never know if he didn't take the chance. But was he ready to take it?

* * *

"And now, you may kiss the bride" The minister announced, sounding intensely relieved that this particular wedding was finally over as Anya and Xander shared a swoon-worthy kiss. After they broke apart, Anya was breathlessly giddy.

"erm...food, let's get food," She giggled, pointing in the general direction of where the sit down dinner was to be held.

"You owe me twenty kittens D'Hoffryn," Tentacle demon said casually as they all got up, "You said she wouldn't go through with it"

"No, I said _he_ wouldn't." D'Hoffryn replied, "I had no doubts about Anyanka"

"Either way, pay up"

"You bet my son wouldn't go through with it?" Anthony challenged, having overheard the exchange between the demons. "You little freaks, wagering my-"

"Stop calling us freaks!" The tentacled demon was at the end of his tether and he lashed out at Mr Harris.

"OKAY! STOP!" Buffy exclaimed, pushing both guys aside with one hand to each chest, but her Slayer strength caused them both to go propelling backwards away from one another, "Now, Anya said we're going to eat so we are _going_ to eat. With no fighting." She gestured for them to walk ahead.

"It's going to be like this all night isn't it?" Joyce, now dry yet still wearing Rupert's jacket, said to Giles. There was the sound of something being smashed, followed by the yell of Mr Harris.

"Yes," Giles nodded, deadly serious, "Yes it is..."

* * *

The rest of the night seemed to go in a blur, as though it all melded into one. There had been issues with the table seatings of course, problems mostly for Anthony and Jessica Harris, who had still refused to completely forgive Xander for having Joyce and Rupert take their place at the table. The couple had initially made to swap seats to keep the peace, but both Xander and Anya had adamantly refused to let them and had ordered Ant and Jess to their assigned seats. It hadn't helped matters that Halfrek and D'Hoffryn also got seats at the head table.

Despite the initial bitterness there at the beginning, Dawn and Halfrek began to get along quite well, finding that the two of them had the same tastes and humor. However, the more relaxed Dawn became with her the more worried her parents and Buffy became that she was going to accidentally wish for something. So Joyce had asked D'Hoffryn to make Halfrek officially take the day off, so that even if Dawn did accidentally use the dreaded words 'I wish' there would be no awful consequences. D'Hoffryn had been reluctant at first, after all he may be pleasant for the day but he was still a vengeance demon, but out of respect for Anyanka he eventually agreed, much to everyone's relief.

The meal was like most wedding meals, pleasant at the time but almost immediately forgotten and the toasts were amusing and touching for the most part, and thankfully not at all long-winded. That done with, it was time for the dancing.

The tables were moved and cleared away, organized for a small buffet half way through the night at the very back and the rest were placed into small round tables for groups to sit at when they weren't dancing on the now clear dance floor.

The lights were cued to a romantic dance low and the singer of the big band Xander and Anya had hired introduced Mr and Mrs Xander Harris to the floor for the first dance as they cut into the romantic opening notes of 'It Could Happen to You'

_Hide your heart from sight Lock your dreams at night It could happen to you_

The newly weds seemed perfectly content with one another, beyond happy, even when Xander stumbled for a split second mid-dance, throwing them off completely for a moment.

_Don't count stars or you might stumble Someone drops a sigh and down you tumble_

Anya wrapped her arms around Xander warmly and rested her head on his chest as they danced as though doubly making sure he wasn't going anywhere. And he truly wasn't.

_All I did was wonder how your arms could be And then it happened to me..._

Then it was the parent dance with the newly weds, which Xander immediately saw as the provoker for another potential fight. Anya danced with Giles, since he was the one to have given her away at the beginning of the ceremony, but Xander split his own dance time between his Mom and Joyce. His Father was too drunk to notice that Anya hadn't danced with him.

"Thanks for the pep talk earlier," Xander thanked Joyce as they danced, "And erm, sorry, for you like getting soaked," He grinned sheepishly.

"Not a problem." She assured him, "As long as you and Anya are okay now. And you are?"

"Yes," He looked over at his wife who right now was reprimanding Giles, firmly telling him he wasn't dancing right. Giles in response was giving as good as he got and arguing back. The two looked ridiculously childish. "Yes we are," Xander told her, complete smitten-y love in his voice and Joyce smiled, job accomplished.

"Good, then it was all worth it," She told him, "After all, what are Moms for?"

The Freudian slip caused the two of them to fall into awkward silence for a moment, but thankfully a moment later the song ended and the floor was open to everyone.

They all seemed to develop a dance exchange as Willow and Tara danced together, but Willow was stolen by Xander as Tara was taken for a spin by Clem. Rupert and Joyce obviously had a lot of dances together but were each shared, sometimes involuntarily, between Willow, Buffy, Halfrek, Anya and Tara on Giles' part- with one singular dance for Carol- and Xander, Clem, Rory and Spike for Joyce. Spike also danced with both Mrs Jessica Harris and Mrs Anya Harris and also took Willow and Tara for a dance at the same time just to show he could do a three way waltz. In fact, most of his dancing seemed to be just to prove that he could. However, when it seemed the turn for he and Hallie to share a dance the two immediately panicked and bailed, heading in opposite directions. Buffy watched this 'exchange' with interest before walking over to the vampire after having a surprising dance with D'Hoffryn.

"What was that all about?" Buffy asked,walking up to Spike in time to hear him finish murmuring '...if Cecily thinks I'm gonna dance with her _now..._'. "Cecily?" She asked incredulously and Spike jumped in Giles-esque shock.

"What? No, what?"

"Cecily," Buffy repeated, nodding in the direction of Halfrek who was presently gossiping with Anya. "I'm guessing you knew her before she was a vengeance demon then"

"You could say that," He agreed non-commitedly.

"Wanna dance?" Buffy asked suddenly, throwing Spike even more.

"You what?"

"Dancing. In which our feet move in time to the beat," Buffy explained, "Wanna take a shot?"

"You are one strange girl, pet," Spike told her with a frown, "I thought you just wanted 'to be friends'"

"I've been dancing with Xander all night," She countered, "Friends can dance"

Leaving no room for protests she took his hand and led the stunned Spike onto the dance floor.

* * *

"Everything seems to be in full swing doesn't it?" Giles asked as he walked back over to Joyce who presently, having shed his coat a while ago, was fanning herself with a improvised fan made of a folded up napkin. She was also popping one of the chocolate bites in her mouth.

"Yes, it does," She agreed as he took a seat beside her. She wasn't looking at him though, she was looking over at her daughter and Spike who were presently trying to dance to a song that kept changing it's style every verse. They were finding it a difficulty to keep up. "Where do you think they're going?" She asked suddenly and Giles had to look around a bit until he understood what she was talking about.

"I don't know," He answered honestly.

"She says they're just friends," She told him, "But I'm not sure they are- i mean I'm not sure they ever can be"

Giles considered her words deeply, thinking over what things meant for Spike and Buffy.

"Well..." He eventually said, "They don't seem to be worrying about it today...so, why should we?"

Joyce looked at him with a kindly frown.

"You're very complacent today," She acknowledged, "What happened to your complete and utter untrust and hate of Spike?"

"Well, he's saved your life on more than one occasion," He admitted, "Which, I'll admit, makes me lenient towards him. Besides, I think we've had enough conflicts for one wedding don't you think?"

"Yes," Joyce nodded in agreement, "Definitely. Despite the fact that Anthony has come onto me and both my daughters tonight"

"What?!"

"Don't worry. Clem dealt with him," Joyce assured him, "He's now passed out on one of the sofa seats in the corner. Tony I mean, not Clem. Besides," She said, leaning over for a kiss, "I thought you said no worrying"

"I did say that didn't I?" He agreed and she nodded briefly before the two engaged in a kiss, that while didn't have the passion they usually exchanged when alone, it was filled with a love and tenderness that could only come from a couple sharing an anniversary of one very happy year together married. The two had previously decided not to inform Anya and Xander that they shared a wedding anniversary now.

"Right so we're married, we have a car, a house..." Anya listed off as she and Xander walked past Joyce and Giles who were just ending their kiss, "Now what next? When do we get a boat? Or a child? You've seen the list. What was on it next?"

Xander just sighed in happy resignation as he walked alongside his bride and let her ramble.


	24. Parents

Zigpal- Yay, my clap dosage. It spurs me on. Hehe. And yes, all is happy for the Harrises now and Anya isn't only vengeance having again- like you said Joyce is the kick. hehe. And here's your Joyce filled epi dosage- part mine, part Jane Esponson (Goddess of all that is Buffydom). Thanks for reviewage

g120-thanks for review and re the thankyness I just wanted you to know your reviews are of the appreciated. And ah, yes what is up with Buffy and Spike. Oddly enough, he's not in this one, but they are pretty all over the place aren't they? I think Buffy's the one balanced, thanks to friends network and her Mom's advice...but it's poor Spikey that's all confused? She wants sex, friendship, sex, friendship, dancing, what's a vamp to do? Well, you'll see where it's heading when he gets all cleary-focus on it.

rabidreject- thanks mucho for review and what you said. Gives me a happy when I know you like the story so much. And as for the long time writing thing- the way Joyce and Rupert keep calling out for new storylines I'll end up writing this into next year. haha. I'm already into 'No Future for You Part Two' of the Buffy: Season Eight series with the Cocorific 'verse. haha.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so this one is like partly all my story, but also part Doublemeat Palace. Coz, remember Sophie? The girl who still came to Buffy's party because she knew her at college? Well, she's gone milk carton on us.

* * *

_"I've come to the conclusion that parents have a very strange power over their children. No matter what age you are, they always have this innate ability to make you regress. Take my Mom for instance. Today, her Mom called...about visiting. Apparently she'd found out about Mom being all pregnant and such. I think Buffy let the baby out of the bag. Mom is _not_ going to be happy."_

"Mom, you really don't need to come over you know," Joyce was reasoning over the phone, "Everything's fine here...yes, I know you have a right to- I know it's your grandchild, I'm the one carrying aren't I? I just...wouldn't it be more reasonable to maybe visit when you can actually see her? Wouldn't that...no, that wouldn't be better? O-okay...well, if you..."

_"I can just see Mom's inner child stomping her foot and saying 'I don't wanna! You can't make me let you come!' More foot stomping 'I'm a grown-up and I can do whatever I like!'. With parents that is _so _not true. It's nice this whole karmic justice thing. See how she likes it"_

"Fine...but Mom? How exactly did you find out...no of course I would have told you...eventually, but who- oh, I see. So when will- Tuesday?! As in the Tuesday happening in two days? Right," Joyce's voice was as strained as her smile, "okay, great. I guess I'll see you then."

Joyce hung up silently, taking a deep, calming breath before eventually shouting up the stairs:

"Buffy!"

"What?" Buffy asked innocently, as she bounded down the stairs to see what her Mother wanted.

"That was your grandmother on the phone," Joyce informed her, "Stating how she wished to see me before the baby was born. You wouldn't happen to know why she would know that would you?"

"Oops..." Buffy winced, before immediately beginning to defend herself, "I didn't mean to! She called and it just...slipped out with the slipperiness. You know what she's like! The closer she is to death the more persistent she is in the information dragging in the sense of getting it out of me"

"Buffy," Joyce reprimanded, "Don't talk about your Grandma like that"

"But..." Buffy just sighed, realizing she was fighting a losing battle, "So what's the verdict?"

"Pardon?"

"Of the phone call. What was the conclusionage?" Buffy asked.

"Oh...she's ah, coming to visit...on Tuesday" Joyce explained and Buffy's eyes widened in panic.

"What? No! Last time she came you all turned into teenagers! And with...what if the Nerd Herd decide to play a practical joke that ends up cloning Grandma?!"

Joyce _really_ didn't like the sound of that.

"Well, we'll just have to deal won't we?"

Buffy whimpered in reply.

* * *

It had taken a while, but Buffy had finally got a rhythm in life. Sure, it had been a while ago when she had finally stopped wishing herself dead, but despite her new wish to live, she had still wandered around without aim or purpose. Recently though, everything seemed to be coming together again. 

College was going great, she was even beginning to get to that stage where it felt like she'd never left. Sometimes she still got those periods of nostalgia. When she longed for the seemingly simpler times of Hemery High or even when she first arrived in Sunnydale. When it had been nothing but fresh starts ahead. Principal "Students are free to call me Bob but don't" Flutie with his clean slate ideals, just her, her Mom and Dawn- though technically it had just been her and her Mom- living together with her Mom and her parenting manuals. Things had been so bright and simple then even in their darker times. It was then that Buffy started to fall into another funk. Which was why she was so glad about college. It stopped her thinking on those memories, and just kept her focused on new ones.

She was making friends too. Okay, so she'd never have friends she was as close to as the others- Willow, Xander, Anya, Tara...even Spike to some extent. After all, as much as she was reluctant to admit it a lot of the time he did know her better than most. But then again, he'd always been insightful about everyone and everything hadn't he? Nevertheless, she was making friends. Sophie had been a godsend. She wasn't overly bright or confident but she was a genuinely nice person and despite the initial horror and avoidance of Buffy after the events of her twenty-first she had continued to be a valued friend to Buffy and she couldn't be more thankful.

However upon entering room B12 Buffy found Sophie to be missing, an empty seat where she should be.

"Hey, uh, where's Sophie?" Buffy asked the others casually as she took her seat. The rest of the class saw Sophie more often than Buffy did, as while Buffy was only in the class twice a week as a catch up for her incompletes last year and her late start this year, every one else was in the class every time it was on.

"Dunno," One of the guys, Brian, replied with a shrug, "Ill I guess. She hasn't been in for the last couple of classes"

"Really?" Buffy frowned, "A-and no one's heard from her? Or tried to call her?"

There was a general consensus of shaking heads 'no'.

"Well, she lives at home with her Mom," Jasmine reasoned, "So it's not like we can go knock on at her dorm. She'll be back in soon. Probably just inhaled too many Doublemeat Palace fumes at work"

Jasmine was joking, but Buffy didn't find anything funny about it. After all she'd thought on about the workers at Doublemeat Palace being not quite right so she couldn't help thinking something was seriously iffy about Sophie's sudden disappearance.

* * *

"When are Xander and Anya gonna be back?" Dawn asked as she sat at the island in the kitchen, watching her Mom make dinner with the eagerness of a hungry wolf waiting for a meal. 

"Erm...well, they left for their honeymoon on Friday...so, two weeks on Friday" Joyce said, thinking on it a moment before she answered.

"Cool. I've always wanted to go to Cyprus you know," Dawn said.

"Have you?" Joyce asked, having absolutely no recollection of Dawn ever having claimed to that fact.

"Yeah," Dawn confirmed, completely stumped by her Mom's cluelessness, "I've only ever said it every single vacation since we saw that show on it when I was like eight"

"You did?" Joyce turned to look at her daughter, completely flummoxed, "I don't remember..." She shook her head as if to clear it and a moment later the image of Dawn rambling about Cyprus the moment the show had ended, "Oh yes. You wanted to go to the ruins because you thought they might be haunted and you really wanted to see a ghost"

Dawn nodded, with something that was almost relief. Relief that her Mother did in fact remember.

"Giles! Giles!" Buffy's voice rang out through the house as the two heard her come in through the front door.

"I remember when she used to shout 'mom' when she came home," Joyce sighed before calling out, "Honey, in here"

"Is Giles home?" Buffy asked, rushing into the kitchen.

"No, not yet," Joyce told her, "But he should be back any minute...is something wrong?"

"Oh just your usual Sunnydale," Buffy replied but this was apparently not the reply her Mother wanted to hear as her brown eyes widened in panic that was quickly followed by outright denial.

"What? No, no, no. No, that is just going to have to wait Buffy. My Mother is going to be here within in...the next hour or so, you _can't_ have a supernatural crisis. Please, Buffy, you just can't."

"You say it like I have a choice," Buffy retorted in disbelief, but the look her Mother gave her showed she believed just that. "Mom, you know I can't choose when and where the forces of Darkness attack me"

"And where are they this time?" Joyce ask impatiently, turning off the pan, before turning to look at Buffy with one hand on her hip.

"The...Doublemeat Palace..." Buffy admitted and before her Mother could argue she talked over her, "I'm just sure there's something strange going on there. I mean everyone there is really freakily out of it...and Sophie? She's gone missing. So I did a little searching- and turns out she's not the only Doublemeat Palace worker to pull a Houdini. Only without the escaping"

"I understand all that...I think," Joyce told her, "But can't you just delay it till your Grandma's out of town again? Please? I know she isn't coming at an ideal time, I mean I'm just branching out into the third trimester which in case you were wondering is even more unpleasant than the first and it means any number of things are all over the place- but I'm working through it for two days...so can't you just...I don't know...just not go the Doublemeat Palace for a couple of days?" She pleaded desperately, but Buffy thought she was being ridiculous.

"Mom! I can't just be all ignory- when I ignore things like this, people can die"

"Buffy," Joyce sighed just as there was a knock at the door. She carried on the conversation with her daughter as she walked through the dining room to the front door, "I'm just asking you this one favor. I do appreciate that your slaying is important but I'm just asking for one br- Mom" Despite the fact she knew her Mother was coming, Joyce still seemed surprised that her Mom was the one at the door. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming, coming till eight?" She turned back to Buffy, "It is only six o clock​?" Buffy nodded in confirmation and Joyce returned her attention back to her Mother, "So you're early. Two hours early"

"Anyone would think you weren't glad to see me Joyce," Grace said, stepping past her daughter and over the threshold so only Buffy saw Joyce's look in silent reply to that question, "My,look at you," Grace said, looking Joyce up and down, "You're glowing you know that?" She placed her hands on her daughter's abdomen, the only person able to do so without getting her head and hands ripped off, "Twenty six weeks aren't you?"

"Wh- y-yes, around-"

"Not all around the front, not overly big- just like with Dawn and Buffy. Another girl I suppose then?"

"Yes, actually-" Joyce barely got two words out, before her Mother started talking again.

"Well, as exciting as this is I have to- oh hello Buffy- I have to say Joyce, are you completely insane?"

"What?" Joyce was completely thrown by this unpredicted question, "Am I...what?"

"I thought you and Richard-"

"Rupert," Joyce corrected patiently, yet at the same time testily.

"-weren't going to have any children. It's what you adamantly stated last year just before the wedding when his Father questioned you about it. I mean you're forty four at the end of this March, Joyce, you don't think you're being a tad ridiculous adding to the family_ now?"_

"W-well, we didn't plan it-it just happen-"

"You mean this child's a mistake? You don't want her?"

"What? No," Joyce immediately protested "Of course not. Just because she wasn't planned doesn't mean she isn't wanted-"

"I mean your Father said how he knew it wouldn't be a planned child. Just like Buffy-" Grace carried on, seemingly oblivious to the fact Joyce was speaking.

"Wait- I wasn't planned?" Buffy cut in.

"Of course you were," Joyce told her, "Just not at the exact time I got pregnant. But that's beside the point. Mom if-"

"I mean, it'd be more understandable if you were in your late thirties Joyce, but your bordering on for mid-forties-"

"But I was wanted right?" Buffy checked, "Wait, that wasn't why Dad eventually left is it coz-"

"No, of course not Buffy. Mom- please, just stop talking."

"Stop talking? I'm just-"

The overlapping conversation was interrupted by Giles walking in through the front door, blissfully oblivious to what he was walking into. When he caught sight of Grace though, his eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Oh, hello," He said simply, for lack of anything else to say.

"Rupert," Grace's voice was tense, and revealed that although she was accepting of Rupert, like most Mothers she disliked her son-in-law for reasons unfathomable to the rest of the family.

"Grace- I uh, thought you weren't arriving for a few hours yet," Giles said, "If I'd have known I would have arrived sooner"

"I'm sure," Grace agreed, sounding entirely unconvinced, "Now, if you don't mind I would really like to talk to my daughter about this addition to be brought to the family. Though I suppose since you're here now you might as well contribute"

"Right," Giles nodded in what-other-choice-do-I-have agreement while Joyce just threw him a helpless look before the two of them were directed into the living room by Grace as though they were naughty children caught playing on the other side of the street.

"Actually," Buffy broke in, "Giles I kinda need to-" She broke off when she saw her Mom throwing her a pleading look and she sighed, "talk to you later. But I can deal for now" Her Mother mouthed her a silent thanks, but before Buffy left to pursue the Doublemeat Palace lead herself with Willow and Tara, she added one more thing, "By the way- you guys should probably remember that Dawn's still in the kitchen"

* * *

"These are the type of Scooby field trips we need to do more often," Willow said as she, Tara and Buffy pulled up outside the Doublemeat Palace, "Saving the world and nutrition" 

"We're not here to eat Willow" Buffy told him, all-business, "We're to find out what happened to Sophie and the others"

"And since when has that ever stopped _Xander_ eating- so why should it stop us?" Willow countered, "I remember we couldn't have a research party at high school without a good donut run"

"Will" Tara smiled, before heading after Buffy into the fast food restaurant.

"Oh Buffy knows it's true. She and Giles used to argue over the jellies," She smiled, "Now what exactly are we looking for here?" She asked as the stepped into the busy place, "I'm thinking we can't exactly go up to the front counter and ask them if they're pro-soylent green you know"

Buffy didn't answer but merely strode through the restaurant, while miraculously remaining unnoticed by everyone there but Willow and Tara. She stopped when she came to a red box on the wall that said 'pull in case of fire'. She pulled and the fire alarm rang out loudly.

"Th-that works too," Willow admitted, slightly nervously as the sprinklers turned on and everyone ran out past them in a hurry, none of the workers even checking to see if there was a fire- therefore confirming that working in fast food does make you brain dead.

Once everyone had left the building except for those three, Buffy immediately headed behind the counter.

"Now this is Sunnydale," She said, "Where fireman are too busy not turning up to be here. Now when Sunnydale High blew up it took them half an hour to get there- and that was for a confirmed explosion- so for something as meager as this I'd say we've got an hour, maybe more, to find what we're looking for"

"Who died and made you George Cloony?" Willow asked with a grin, but Buffy didn't bother to answer, Tara, however, did.

"But...we're raiding a burger bar n-not a casino"

"I still say we're gonna need seven other guys to pull this off"

"Oh my god," Buffy suddenly said from behind the counter in disgust, the sprinkler rain pouring down on them forgotten by the three now. Buffy turned to face her friends and in her hand she was holding, "A finger"

* * *

Joyce had fallen asleep. Which meant Giles was on his own facing Grace. For the past few days, Joyce's month-long burst of energy had seemed to be slowly burning out, regardless of the fact that she still needed to do a hundred-and-one things at work, home, in general and so, obviously, she'd been getting more and more tired and with her coming into the third trimester the tiredness had been powered to the nth term. So, really, it should have been no surprise that while Grace had talked for a long breakless period of time about babies, children, raising children (all spoken about as though she'd forgotten Joyce had been there twice before) and also the impact their 'mature parenthood' as she phrased it would have, that Joyce had drifted off for small moments, before eventually falling asleep on Rupert's chest, now blissfully ignorant of Grace's talk-come-lecture.

"Look," Grace was saying, "It's not like I don't like you Ronald,"

"Rupert," Giles corrected for the fifth time in fifteen minutes, briefly wondering if Grace would be as understanding if he mistakenly called her Endora.

"Rupert, right. It's not that I don't like you- you're a very nice man. Polite, friendly, good person with a good job- it's just I can't help noticing that well...you have a tendency to lead Joyce down a rather reckless path"

"I do?"

"Mm-hmm," Grace nodded, "Of course I heard the beginnings of it from Arlene- after all I didn't know about you till a fortnight before the wedding," She laughed it off but Giles could tell she was obviously still sore about this, "But Arlene told me of how the two of you had a tendency to drop everything at the drop of a hat, and go off and do something spontaneous or whatever. The wedding in fact seemed rather out of the blue- I got the impression from the others that you actually proposed by accident!" Again with the fake laughter, "But this isn't some reckless decision that you can drop a moment later. I hope you understand that"

"Grace, I fully appreciate your concern, but might I remind you that I am in fact an adult and know perfectly well all that it entails as does Joyce. We are not, as you seem to be dealing with the situation here, two eighteen year olds suffering the consequences of a ridiculously drunk night on the town"

"I sometimes wonder," Grace said disapprovingly, but there was a touch of a smile at her mouth and Giles was reminded of a conversation with her when they first met, and he couldn't help wondering whether some of the 'talk' stemmed from an envy to have this 'reckless' attitude. If only she knew what caused impromptu and spontaneous decisions. Life or death situations prompted those sorts of things.

"Well, we are sometimes teenagers..." Joyce said dozily as she yawned awake and while Grace looked confused, shocked and concerned by this not quite-coherent admittance, Giles looked at his wife with a wide-eyed pointed expression that clearly said 'be careful what you say here'. "What?" Joyce asked in tired confusion, wondering what she was getting the looks for. She yawned again, "Oh- did I fall asleep?"

"Somewhat," Giles smiled in warm confirmation.

"It's understandable though," Grace added, "You're not doing too much are you?" She asked before turning on Giles, "I hope you aren't having her on her feet too much, it isn't-"

"Mom," Joyce cut in, "I'm fine, you don't have to...this isn't my first time remember? I know what I'm doing and you don't have to worry about Rupert. He's uh, he's been wonderful"

"Well, you do seem to be doing just fine so far," Grace admitted, "No problems? Hiccups?" Joyce shook her head, "Well, good, I'm sorry I'm going on so much- it's just I guess I was a little hurt that you didn't even tell me you were pregnant Joyce. I had to hear it from Buffy, and I don't think even _she _meant to tell me" She sighed, "I just don't understand why you have to be so secretive about things all the time"

* * *

"Argh!" Willow yelped as she put her hand on something on the counter, "Scalp!" She pulled her hand away in disgust but Tara immediately calmed her down.

"No, honey, it's just a wig," She held up the fake blue-gray curls.

"Who wears a wig like that?" Buffy grimaced.

"Well, I've got to use something to cover this," An old woman's voice spoke up and they turned to see an old woman looking like a perfectly normal OAP except for the fact she had a huge tube of gray lamprey-headness coming out from where her scalp should be. It opened it's mouth wide and sprayed out liquid, the majority of it landed on Tara's face who scrunched her face up in disgust, trying to shake it all off. She tried to follow Willow and Buffy to move out of the way of the demon wig lady, but her legs would barely step forward, they remained where they were glued to the floor, feeling as though she were gradually turning to stone.

"Don't try to move dear," The Wig Lady told her, "You really can't, much"

Immediately, forgetting about killing Wig demon Buffy and Willow set about helping Tara out of the way of the demon, and out of the store to safety. "The paralysis spreads upwards," Wig Lady explained as they struggled, "You may want to flail your arms while you still can. I mean, you're not my favorite. Not Doublemeat Palace workers you see, but well...you drove them all away didn't you dear"

"Willow go!" Buffy ordered, "I'll get Tara" And as Willow reluctantly ran to open the front door, Buffy stopped trying to tug Tara along and instead picked the paralyzed witch up before running towards the door too, the three of them reaching the street just as the sound of fire engines started. They were close. Buffy took a moment to look back in the fast food restaurant and saw Wig Lady wasn't there anymore, which meant she had probably left to escape the firemen too- or the more likely reason was that she had left to come after them. Which meant they didn't have much time to get Tara to safety. "Come on, let's get her back to my place"

* * *

"Well, it doesn't matter I suppose," Grace said after Rupert and Joyce tried to convince her that they weren't secretive, "Not that what you do is really any of my business-" Joyce and Rupert shared an incredulous look at that comment, "and at least I'll be there for the birth"

"Y-wait, what? You will?" Joyce asked in panic and now it was Grace's turn to be confused.

"Of course, why on earth wouldn't I be?"

"Well, uh-"

"Oh for goodness sakes Joyce," Grace was completely exasperated, "What on earth is going on around here? You detest me visiting, I can tell, and you all act as though there's some big conspiracy you're all trying to cover up, hide from me. And now you seem completely fully of nerves when I say I want to be there for the birth of my grandchild. What the _hell_ is going on?"

"Mom- nothing is-"

Joyce was cut off as Buffy and Willow burst through the front door carrying an apparently paralyzed Tara.

"Giles, we have a _big problem_," Buffy said as way of greeting as they brought Tara into the living room and that's when she remembered her Grandmother was still there. She didn't even have the time to come up with an excuse or cover-up because a moment later the wig lady's lamprey head burst through the living room window, shattering glass everywhere. "Watch out!" Buffy yelled, placing Tara down carefully near the hall, "It can paralyze you!"

"What?" Grace frowned in confusion, not having a clue what her granddaughter was talking about or what was going on.

"Just get down!" Buffy ordered her in such a leader-like slayer-mode way that Grace found herself obeying without question as she ducked behind the sofa, next to wear Tara had been lay. She looked at her with concern as she saw the girl was completely unable to move, but her eyes betrayed her fear.

The Wig Lady's lamprey head turned in the direction of Buffy, opening it's mouth wide to spray it's paralyzing venom and Giles grabbed Joyce out of the way just in time,as Buffy rolled out of the spray's range. However, the couple slightly overbalanced as the sudden momentum took over and the two of them fell to the floor, though fortunately remaining sat upright, Joyce landed on Giles and the two groaned in pain at the impact.

Buffy, however, kept her forward roll going until she reached her weapons chest in the corner of the living room. She sprung to her feet, lifted up the wooden lid to pull out a wicked looking curved throwing knife.

"Hey Wig Lady!" She called for the demon's attention and just as the head turned to face her, she flung the blade like a Frisbee and it sliced through the demon's neck, killing it instantly. "Head's up" Buffy couldn't help grinning with self-satisfaction as she looked at the decapitated demon.

"Are you okay?" Joyce asked Rupert with concern, though she made no efforts to get up off of him.

"I'm fine," He assured her, "I'm more concerned about you actually"

"Me?" Joyce sounded genuinely surprised, "You're the one who just had a pregnant woman land on you- which I'm told is not a blissful experience"

"I've had worse," He told her, but his voice was strained so she gave him a kiss for his troubles, which he gladly received.

"Ow..." Tara complained as the feeling started to come back to her, the death of the demon putting an end to the effects of the paralyzing venom and Willow rushed over to her to see if she was okay.

"Okay..." Grace said, breathing slowly. Something terrifying and unexplainable had just happened and all this group had done was treat it was like an everyday occurrence. Willow and the girl who'd been paralyzed were now smiling and joking, seemingly having as little concern for what had happened as her daughter and son-in-law, who presently were sat on the floor together, Joyce on Rupert's lap, sharing a, thankfully not over-the-top, kiss. And her granddaughter? She had taken up a weapon and held it like it was an extension of herself and she seemed to revel in the gore of the strange creature being decapitated. "Would someone like to tell me what is going on?"

It was only at this question that the group lost their care-free attitude to the situation.

* * *

"Well, I don't think my Mother will ever be returning to Sunnydale," Joyce concluded the next day to her family after waving her Mom off. "She said something about Sunnydale being too 'active' for her tastes and mumbled something about clashing dates for the estimated day of the birth...so she doesn't think she'll be coming to that"

"Well, at least she knows the truth now," Buffy reasoned, "And we don't have to keep lying to her anymore"

"Mmm..." Joyce didn't sound convinced, "I'm not so sure she does know the truth. On some level I think she still believes it was all an elaborate act for a piece of an obscure play. And no doubt that's what she'll relay to Dad"

"Well, denial is the gift of us," Buffy acknowledged, "I still say this," She gestured to her Mom's pregnant state, "is immaculate conception."

Joyce couldn't help but smile at that as she took a seat in the living room beside her husband and opposite her daughters.

"I feel like I need to sleep for a week," She confessed, trying to stop a yawn but failing miserably.

"Really?" Giles asked, sounding concerned, "You've been very tired lately..."

"Welcome to the third trimester," She grinned sleepily, "First- dizziness, sickness, the works, the second- glorious mainly nothing and energy, third- I'm not going to be awake for the first half." She explained as she tucked her legs under her childishly and curled up to him, resting her head on his chest as she used him as a handy human pillow. "It's all your fault you know," She told him slightly sleepily, "You put her here so you've only yourself to blame"

Giles evidently had no idea in the world of how to respond to that comment as he just looked completely flummoxed.

"Mom..." Dawn said in a voice that revealed she wanted something, and she seemed to be taking Joyce's sleepiness as an opportunity to get a thoughtless 'yes', "Some people from school are going to The Bronze tonight and-"

"No," Joyce told her simply even though her eyes were closed giving the impression of sleep, not even letting Dawn finish her question.

"Why not?" Dawn immediately pouted.

"Because," Joyce said, sitting up and opening her eyes, "It's a school night and you're only fifteen. You are not staying out all night at The Bronze"

"That is _so _not fair," The teenager protested, "You let me go a couple of months ago"

"That was my laid back period," Joyce informed, "Welcome back to Mom town. You're _not_ going and that's the end of it"

"But-"

"End of discussion Dawn,"

Buffy knew that in a few weeks, days even, Joyce being over-Momish again was going to come back to bite her in the ass, but after all the mood swing sometimes-teenageryness of the past month or so with Joyce, she couldn't help feeling relaxed and glad at her Mom being, well, Mom again. Even if that did mean Dawn sulking for a few hours over not being allowed out.

The fact that she'd probably mither Buffy in turn was a small price to pay wasn't it? Right?

Right?


	25. Normal Again

rabidreject- thanks for the review

zigpal- thanken you for claps et review. Glad you liked, and yes you're right- Joyce and Lily are going to be the cause of much 'fun' haha. But first, alas, there is suspence and angst...hope you like.

* * *

A/N: So an update a little earlier than I expected but my time was of the free yesterday and today so I was able to scribble (or well whatever the typing equivalent of scribble is...) away and come up with Normal Again. Though because of timing and placement of chapters, this takes place the very next week after Parents, but just so we're clear on all things pregnant, Joyce is already coming to the end of the first month of the third trimester. Just so you're clear, coz like I got a PM of confusion about it yesterday haha.

* * *

"Ow! Bollocks!" 

"Giles...what are you doing?" Dawn asked slowly as she came down the stairs and found him crouched near a plug socket on the floor, cursing because he had just banged his head on the side table.

"Baby-proofing the house apparently," He informed her, holding up a piece of paper and giving it to her. On it she saw her Mom had written an entire list of things that needed baby proofing. "I never knew there were so many plug sockets in this house"

"Hmm," Dawn nodded, giving him back the long list, "On films you never see all this. Its just woman pregnant then next shot- woman with baby"

"If only," Giles grumbled as he pushed in a socket cover into the plug.

"Where is Mom?" Dawn asked, "I kinda have art homework, but it's about some history thing. Figured she'd know"

"Oh she's just in the living room Dawn" He pointed the direction out as though Dawn didn't know her own way around her own house

"Thanks" Dawn smiled, before heading down the final stairs and heading into the living room. She found her Mom sat cross legged, an impressive feat for a woman slowly becoming the size of a house Dawn thought to herself, on the sofa with an immense pile of papers scattered around her. "Hey Mom, whatcha doing?"

"Realizing my life needs a serious overhaul," She looked at Dawn pleadingly, "Just let me go to sleep Dawn," She sighed, realizing that right now that wasn't an option and instead picked up more papers, "I'm just...trying to sort out things at the gallery for when I won't be there. When I go on maternity leave I do _not_ want them calling me for anything. At all"

"At least you don't have to actually organize the leave," Dawn reasoned, "I mean you only have to ask yourself," She grinned.

"Very funny...so these are gallery things," She put a pile of papers on her left, "these are doctors appointments," she put a pile of papers on her right "and these...are...things I've never seen before. Rupert!" She called out, "What are these?"

"What are what?" He asked, walking over, and she handed him the pieces of paper which she flicked through, a look of recognition crossing his face, "This is the information you requested."

"On what?"

"Sunnydale General tours," He explained, "You said you wished to see the hospital and where you would be going, since you've never been to Sunnydale General before"

"Except you know when one of us has lost a limb," Dawn added semi-helpfully.

"I only said that in passing though..." Joyce said with a slight frown.

"I know," Giles agreed, "But I thought- just in case. I stopped by to pick up some information."

"That is so sweet," She smiling, gesturing for him to lean over and she gave him a kiss. However, mid-smooch she pulled away with a wince, a hand on her stomach. "Oof, sorry she's just...getting very active." She explained, "And now...now I feel nauseous" She groaned in frustration, "okay, why is everything about the third trimester painful?!"

"Wow, you really don't cope well with this do you?" Dawn stupidly asked and she got a look-that-could-kill for her trouble.

"Dawn," Joyce said calmly, "Go to Janice's. Call her Mom. See if she can pick you up" She said it in a way that brooked no argument so Dawn said 'okay' very quietly, before wandering off to call Janice.

"Are you okay?" Rupert asked Joyce slightly warily and she nodded with a wan smile.

"Yeah, I'll be fine...in a month or two," She smiled a weak smile, "Just come sit with me? Please?" She moved aside the gallery papers so there was room for him on the sofa and he sat down next to her. Once he was settled, she pulled her legs out from under her, uncrossing them, and shuffled across to him in a, in Giles' view, comical way that caused her to smirk at him in a semi-amused way when she saw him smiling at her movements. Eventually, she was happy with where she was and she rested on him. Giles sighed- this is what she had been using him as a lot lately; a human pillow. Even in bed. No more passionate kisses, no more, what Anya had so horrifyingly yet aptly called 'late-night kinkage', no more anything like that. No, in the past week or so Giles had become no more than a human pillow for Joyce. Who kept falling asleep when she should be awake, yet failing to sleep at all at times such as three am in the morning. "Doctors tomorrow..." She said sleepily as he wrapped his arm around her as she lay there and she started playing with his hand lovingly like a child.

"Yes," Giles acknowledged.

"...they're going to be drawing blood," She informed, "To check blood types..."

"Yes..." Giles acknowledged again, wondering where she was going with all this.

"...I don't like needles." She told him. "Remember?"

Yes, he remembered. The last time the doctor had tried to draw blood, nearly six months ago, Joyce had categorically refused to let him. Even going so far as to get up and rush out of the room. Giles, totally stunned by this reaction had been told by the doctor that her dislike or fear of needles had been amplified by the increase of hormones in the first trimester. And third was like the first to the power of ten...which meant tomorrow was going to be a very, very, very long day. Maybe he should bring Buffy with them...restrain her Mother if things got ridiculous.

"Where is Buffy?" Joyce asked, causing Giles to jump.

"It's like you read my mind," He told her, before becoming suddenly suspicious, "You aren't, are you?"

"Huh?"

"Well, there has been cases, in the history of the Council," Giles explained, "Wherein the Mother, when carrying a potential Slayer, has in fact developed unpredicted supernatural abilities, the only potential explanation being that the mystical energy the slayer carries causes some residual effect on the Mother"

Joyce just looked thoroughly confused by this 'explanation'.

"Well...erm no, no I'm not reading your thoughts," She told him, "I think perhaps we're just on the same wavelength. So where is Buffy? Shouldn't she be back by now?"

"She's looking into some potential locations for the ah, hide outs of the three boys causing a lot of our more pesky magical problems this year"

"Oh, I heard Dawn dub them the Nerd Herd the other night," She said with a smile, before becoming worried, "I know they're only three boys...but I still hope Buffy's okay."

"She'll be fine," Rupert assured her, stroking her arm with his thumb comfortingly. At least it consciously comforted her for a minute, before he realized her breathing had become very steady and even and her eyes were closed. She'd fallen asleep. "She'll be fine," He repeated, just in case Joyce could hear him. "Just fine"

* * *

Buffy faced off against the demon, hiding her nerves despite the fact this demon clearly had an advantage on her size wise and well, wicked-looking wise. 

"You didn't by any chance eat a couple a nerds did ya?" She asked, and in reply the demon attacked. She gave as good as got with kicks, flips, ducks, punches. Just as she went to deliver another punch, it grabbed her and spun her around towards him before piercing her in the arm with a dripping needle that was protruding out of his arm.

_Two orderlies held her against the wall as they tried to inject her with a hypodermic needle. She struggled against them just as she struggled against the demon. _

"_Buffy! Stop fighting! You're going to hurt yourself!" One of the nurses shouted and Buffy's eyes snapped open. She took in the surroundings. No longer in the alley. She was in a mental institution._

* * *

They were ten minutes away from the hospital, but that really wasn't close enough. 

"Rupert, please hurry up," Joyce pleaded.

"Love, if I drive any faster we'll get pulled over, arrested and then we'll never make it the doctors"

"Yeah, well at least the police station would have a toilet," She grumbled and Buffy, sat in the back seat, smothered a laugh. She was only on this little trip to the Doctors by Giles' request who had claimed her Mother had the ability to become entirely unreasonable when there was the threat of needles...and well, he needed someone who could effortlessly stop her from leaving. Like last time. Buffy had agreed, somewhat reluctantly- going to the doctors with her pregnant mother was exactly high on her to do list, but so far the car trip alone had been highly amusing.

"Mom," She said, leaning forward, "It'll be fine. We're just a bit away from the doctors"

"Easy for you to say," Joyce told her, "You're not suffering from the incredible shrinking bladder."

"Ew"

"I swear...something has gotta give," Joyce sighed and Giles, unable to take his eyes off the presently busy road took one hand off the wheel to hold Joyce's and she smiled appreciatively.

Buffy looked at the hand holding before sighing herself and flopping back into her seat.

"Are we there yet?" She asked, sounding like a seven year old wanting to know when they reached their holiday destination.

* * *

"So, everything perfectly normal since I saw you last?" Doctor Cassandra Marshall asked as Joyce, Rupert and Buffy traipsed into the room. 

"Yes," Joyce nodded, "Pain, aches, kicks, insomnia, tiredness, shrinking bladder and its becoming harder and harder to reach my feet. So yes, perfectly normal"

"Ah," Cass smiled, "You can always tell the second time Moms- much more cynical and a lot less worried"

"Third time Mom actually," Joyce informed her, "By the way, this is my eldest daughter, Buffy"

"Hi," Buffy smiled as she shook hands with the doctor.

"Hello," Cass greeted her briefly, before returning her attention back to the expecting parents, "So Joyce, no complaints? Contractions, headaches, swellings,anything?"

"Erm...actually, yes, I have been having-" Joyce looked nervously over at Rupert and Buffy for a moment as she took a seat, knowing she hadn't owned up to them about these symptoms, "I've been having a few headaches. I mean I've had them every now and then throughout, but recently they've been getting a little worse..."

"Joyce," Rupert didn't seem to know whether to feel concerned or offended so he settled for a little bit of both, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to worry you..." She told him, "It's probably nothing"

"It may just be stress," Their Practitioner assured him, "Or something else related to hormone imbalance perhaps. Just let me check your medical records Joyce...it may be related to some allergies you have- heightened by the late stage of pregnancy. Or it could simply be nothing" She sat at her desk and started clicking away at her computer, calling up Joyce's file while Giles and Buffy stood around Mommy (now thankfully sat down) as though they were guarding her from anything the headaches could mean. "Hmm..."

"What?" Buffy immediately picked up on Cassandra's 'hmm', "Good hmm or bad hmm?"

Cassandra turned around in her chair to face them all, but she was looking directly at Joyce.

"Mid last year, you were brought into the hospital weren't you after a collapse?"

"Yes, but-"

"And according to these x-rays you had all the symptoms of a potential brain tumor...but it was never treated?"

"I-it went away," Joyce told her nervously, "But I don't see what any of this has to do with..."

"Now, please don't be overly concerned by what I have to say," Cassandra said,putting on serious doctor face- both of these things immediately making all three worried, "But I have known in the past...for moms-to-be who have in the past had operable cancer or some other illness, to have what can only be called 'memory pains' prompted by the excess hormones produced in the third trimester. They are nothing harmful, nothing more than just that-memories. But erm, since you were never treated Joyce- I can't help but worry this may be something more"

"Something more?" Buffy asked, "What does that mean?"

"I'm not sure," Cassandra admitted, "It's not my particular area of expertise- let me just contact a friend of mine who works in that department...see what their opinion is on the matter then maybe we'll be better informed over what to do next..." She turned back to her computer and started typing. While she wrote the email, the Summers-Giles family looked at other in worry, no more so than Joyce who remembered not remembering Dawn, just like she had before Ethan, ironically, had saved her life.

"I keep not remembering Dawn," She whispered in intense worry to Rupert and he held her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze, silently telling her not to worry.

"Now," Cassandra said, walking back over to them, "While we're waiting for a reply, why not get back to basics"

Giles couldn't believe how she could announce the potential of something so devastating and then be back in normal everythings-great-mode so suddenly. It wasn't right.

"How's the baby been? Mobility wise? Kicking a lot?"

"Lots," Joyce nodded, wincing a little, "In fact...right now. I'm going to be bruised"

"Don't worry about it," Doctor Marshall smiled, "It just means she's healthy."

She went on to check the baby's heart beat, any swelling and any other number of things that needed to be checked until Joyce thought she was going to die of exhaustion from just being tested on. She, thankfully, retained her cool when it was time for blood pressure test followed directly by the needle business.

"Well, everything seems perfectly normal...now let's just check if I have an email back..." Cassandra headed back to her computer and Buffy watched her nervously when-

_She was walking through the walls of an asylum. A nurse looked over at her._

"_Come on Buffy. It's time for you drugs-"_

Buffy shook her head, clearing away the images.

"What?" She asked in confusion and saw she was looking at the concerned expression of Cassandra Marshall. She was talking to Joyce.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about at this point, but just to be sure...he says...he's booking you in for an appointment at the hospital. For an MRI Scan"

Silence was the only response, the only response they could achieve.

"W-when?" Joyce finally asked as she found her voice.

"As soon as possible," Cassandra informed her somberly, "We want to be sure either way as soon as we can"

* * *

"I can't work this tilly thing," Willow complained from behind the counter at the Magic Box, "It has all these buttons, and it's just refusing to open for me" She pressed a few more buttons and suddenly the till shot out, "Argh! Ooh, there we go" She smiled, putting the customer's money in there and taking out the change, before handing it over to the man who had bought the tiger's eye chakra crystal. "Thank you for shopping at the Magic Box," She smiled as he left. 

Since both Joyce and Giles were at the doctors today, Willow and Tara- in the absence of Anya and Xander- were looking after the Magic Box instead. Tara was the one dealing with magical things directly for obvious reasons, while Willow handled the till.

"We rock," Will grinned as she headed over to her girlfriend, pleased with her third sale of the day.

"That we do honey," Tara smiled warmly, as she organized the talisman display on of the cabinet shelves. At that moment there was the sound of the wind chimes at the door ringing and the two turned to see the latest customer, but instead found Buffy heading towards them, looking incredibly somber.

"Buffy," Willow said, suddenly serious, "Are you okay? Is everything alright with your Mom? Lily?"

Buffy was silent as she took a seat at the table.

"Giles- he's gone home with Mom. He, uh, he wants you to carry on looking after the shop"

"Of course sweetie," Tara assured her, looking at her with deep concern, "But what's the matter?"

"Mom..." Buffy whispered out, "She's been having, having headaches. L-like last year..."

"You think Ethan again-" Willow began to ask but Buffy shook her head adamantly.

"No, no it's not him," She took a deep breath that didn't seem to calm her in the slightest, "It's...the doctors think it could uh it c-could be a-" She gulped, unable to say the word, "Brain tumor. Developing . P-possibly. They've, uh they've booked her in for an MRI scan"

"Oh my god," Willow gasped, sinking into her seat, "Oh my god..."

"That's why...until she goes in...tomorrow...that he wants, he wants to be with her. He told me to come here and ask you to-"

"Of course honey," Tara told her, "Of course we'll look after the story. Don't worry about it"

"Also," Buffy said, only nodding a little to show she had acknowledged what Tara said, "erm...they both said not to tell Dawn. She can't know."

"Right," Willow nodded, lost in her own horrific thoughts at this alarming news.

"I need to patrol," Buffy said abruptly, suddenly standing up.

"But it's still daylight," Tara pointed out and Buffy seemed lost.

"But I have to do something...I have to...I can't just-"

"_Buffy, do you know where you are?" The Doctor asked as Buffy glanced around in panic at what was no longer the Magic Box, but was in fact the same hospital she'd seen twice before in recent days._

"_The Magic Box..." Buffy replied in confusion._

"_No," The doctor said kindly, shaking his head, "Buffy none of that is real. None of it. You're in a mental institution, you're ill. You've been with us six years now, do you remember? It's gonna be okay...look, look who's here"_

_He stepped aside so Buffy could see her guests. Her Mom and Dad. Looking very much together and her Mom looking very much not-pregnant. _

"_Buffy?" Her Mom asked, stepping forward warily, not wishing to scare her, "Welcome home honey"_

"_Mom...?" Buffy asked, completely confused by what she was seeing, "Dad...?"_

"_She lucid," The doctor smiled in pleasant surprise, "Keep talking, maybe your voice can ground her"_

"_Sweetheart," Her Dad said, "We've missed you so much,honey, can you hear me?"_

_No, this wasn't right. Her parents weren't together anymore. She was in Sunnydale and they were divorced. This wasn't real. She needed to get back. Back to Sunnydale, back to the Magic Box._

"_No honey," Her Mom said, sensing her will to leave, "Stay with us, plea-"_

"Buffy? Are you okay?" Willow asked.

* * *

"I've been having these...flashes. Hallucinations I guess," Buffy admitted as Willow handed her a glass of water. She was sat in her living room talking to Willow, Tara, her Mom, Giles and Dawn. All of them looking at her as though she were an interesting project to be studied. 

"Since when?" Giles asked.

"Night before last," She told him, taking a sip of the water, "When I was looking for the nerd herd. And then the demon poked me with some needle thingy...in the arm. And then it was like...no, not like. I _was_ in a mental institution."

"I don't understand," Joyce frowned, "What do you mean you were-"

"I didn't know what had happened at first," Buffy told her, "But then it happened a couple more times. There were doctors, nurses, other patients...they told me I was sick. Crazy I guess. And all of this, none of it was real. Just part of some delusion in my head"

No one knew quite how to respond to that.

"Well, this sandwich tastes real enough to me," Dawn informed her, before taking a bite out of the chicken sandwich greedily.

"I know how it sounds," Buffy admitted, "But it felt so real"

"Did it hurt?" Willow asked, "The hallucination?"

"No it..." Buffy stopped to look at her Mom, "You were there."

"I was?"

"With Dad. You were together. Like you used to be...before Sunnydale..."

Buffy seemed to lose herself in her thoughts, causing the others to become slightly nervous.

"Buffy, it's not real," Joyce broke into them, "I'm not...we're in Sunnydale now, not L.A"

"I know..." Buffy nodded, but not sounding entirely convinced, "Too simple..."

Again, the others became nervous by Buffy's body language.

"I say research is in order," Giles announced, breaking into the moment and Willow stood up in eager agreement.

"Yes, book reading awaits"

Buffy started to feel her vision start to go, and only her Mom seemed to notice

"Buffy?"

"_If we're not careful-"_

"_Wait," Her Mom broke into the Doctor's speech, "There's a chance Buffy might be like she was, before this all happened?"_

"_Mrs Summers," The doctor said gently and Buffy frowned. That name didn't sound right for her Mom anymore. It wasn't right._

"_Giles..." She'd murmured, trying to bring her focus back, or better yet- bring Sunnydale back._

_The sound of her voice drew her parents and the doctor's attention._

"_Giles? That's the Watcher right?" Her Dad checked and the doctor nodded._

"_Yes, and her stepfather. The father of her half-sister. She created Dawn for that same familial bond, but the inconsistencies...they created too many complications and didn't fulfill that need. So she created the birth of a real blood sister. One not formed of supernatural means."_

"_Lily," Buffy said, realizing who the doctor was talking about._

"_Yes, already met her haven't you Buffy?" The doctor smiled understandingly, "So desperate was the need for that familial bond that she found a way to meet the sister before her time...because everyone else around her...they're not as reliable as they used to be are they Buffy? Not as comforting..."_

* * *

"Joyce?" Giles called out, before walking into their bedroom. He found his wife lying down on their bed, her eyes were open so it was evident she wasn't sleeping. She was clearly worried about Buffy. As if she didn't have enough to worry about. "We've found the demon that is causing Buffy's hallucinations. Willow and Tara are working on the antidote" 

"It's all my fault," Joyce whispered and Giles frowned in concerned confusion as he headed over to sit beside her on the bed.

"What?"

"It's all my fault she's seeing all this," Joyce semi-explained, not sitting up from being lay on her side on the bed.

"What do you mean?" He asked calmly.

"It's my fault she thinks she's in a mental institution,"

"Joyce, don't be ridiculous," He said kindly, "How on earth can this be your fault at all?"

"Because I put her there," Joyce admitted, her voice almost breaking.

"Pardon?"

"I put her in a mental institution...when she was about fifteen..." Giles wasn't even given time to ask why as Joyce carried on talking, "She came home one night, looking completely terrified. She started rambling about vampires, and a , a man called Merrick...saying she was the Chosen One. Destined to Slay vampires. Hank and I...we, we thought she was crazy. So we sent her to a clinic...after a couple of weeks she stopped talking about it...and she was released. And we all seemed to unanimously decide never to talk about it ever again"

"Joyce, I-"

"I put my daughter in a mental institution Rupert, rather than listen to her, I put her in an asylum..." Joyce started crying, "I put her in that awful place...and she thinks she's still there...it's all my fault..."

"No, it's not, shhh, it's not your fault," He told her, letting her slip into his arms soothingly where she lay, "Not in any reality. It's not..."

"Is Buffy...how...is Buffy going to be okay?" Joyce asked, sitting up, practically pleading for Giles to say yes. He nodded.

"Since the demon carries an antidote to it's own venom,we ah, dispatched Spike to bring the Glarghk Guhl Kashma'nik"

"Gesundheit" Joyce smiled ever so slightly at Giles pronouncing the complicated name of the demon.

"So the problem should be resolved very soon," He told her with a reassuring smile.

"One of the problems anyway..." She said, voice heavy with worry and Giles was reminded of the MRI scan scheduled for the very next day.

* * *

Buffy was so very confused. She was starting to doubt which was the reality and which wasn't. The one in the institution made so much more sense, sounded so much more normal. Her parents. Together. No problems. She was just an ordinary girl, with ordinary parents. Here- well her Mom had once been the one semblance of normal in her life, but now even Joyce wasn't exactly living the life of Joe Normal. The Doctor was right- everything was falling apart. Dawn- her very existence didn't make sense, did it? Willow trying to cope with an addiction to magic...how ridiculous did that sound? And her Mom- she could be seriously ill, something they wouldn't know for sure till tomorrow...and she had a husband who was part of The Watcher's Council- an organization of men and women trained so they themselves can train a girl born with supernatural strength. The Slayer. It just got more and more ridiculous. Buffy thought back on her parents and how they had been before they'd arrived in Sunnydale. Such different people than they were now. Then, her Mom would never have just forgiven a guy for beating her- which was, essentially what Giles had done months ago. That was something Buffy would never have believed of Giles. See, things were falling apart. They weren't like they should be. Not anymore. 

"Buffy?"

Buffy looked up to see her sister in the door way, holding a cup of tea.

"Mom sent me up with this." Dawn told her, walking forward and taking a seat on the bed beside Buffy, "Make you feel better until we get the antidote"

"I'm okay Dawn,"

"Yeah, the thousand-yard stare really helps sell that," Dawn half-joked, handing her the tea.

"I should be taller than you," Buffy said suddenly, sounding completely detached.

"Maybe you're not done growing," Dawn smiled.

"Coming apart..."

"What's coming apart?" Dawn asked, wondering if she should call for Giles since Buffy seemed to be really, _really_ out of it.

"Everything...doesn't make sense any more Dawn-"

"_You don't have a sister Buffy," Her Mom said gently._

"_Dawn..."_

"_No, honey," Her Mom said, holding her arm, "Say it. It'll help you believe it"_

_Buffy didn't want to say it. Dawn was real. But was this what was really real? She didn't know anymore. She was so confused._

"_I don't have a sister..." Buffy tried it on her tongue, but a moment later it tasted of complete betrayal, "I know I didn't grow up with her, but these monks- they made her and-"_

"_Your mind." Her Dad told her kindly, "Playing tricks on you"_

_Her Mom gave her a gentle, loving kiss on Buffy's forehead that felt, to Buffy, all too much like the reality in Sunnydale. How could this here feel so real and be false? It couldn't be._

"_You're our little girl Buffy," Her Mom told her lovingly, "Our one and only. We've missed you so much. We just want to take you home and take care of you"_

"I'm not even there am I?" Dawn asked in angry hurt, "You said it a second ago. You don't have a sister" Buffy had nothing to say in reply, "It's your ideal reality and the only person in your entire life that's in it is Mom"

"Dawn, that doesn't mean-"

"I've gotta go. Help Mom." Dawn got up and left the room without waiting for another word from her sister.

* * *

Joyce's head was really hurting. A little headache. One of the biggish little ones she'd been having lately. It was then that the memories of Dawn became hazy and the memories of just her and Buffy became more prominent. She sat on the sofa in the living room, rubbing her temples, willing the painkillers to start working and make the headache go away as she tried to ignore the sounds of everyone in the basement trying to gain control of the demon that had done whatever it was that had been done to Buffy. 

She heard someone come down the stairs and saw it was Dawn, looking quite upset. Joyce wanted to ask what was the matter, but she couldn't quite remember everything about Dawn at that moment, which made her uncomfortable around the teenager. She could remember the memories that weren't false, she could remember the past two years with Dawn, but before that she could barely remember at all. She knew it would pass. It always passed, but until it did she really didn't want Dawn talking to her. She didn't like feeling like she didn't know her own daughter.

God, she feared the MRI scan tomorrow, and what it was going to show.

* * *

It was an hour or so later when the antidote was finally completed, Tara revealing herself, with Willow's voiced tuition, to be quite a whiz at that sort if thing. 

"I'll just take it up to Buffy," Willow smiled with proud relief, holding up the mug of antidote for all to see, before she headed up the stairs to Buffy. Everyone else remained gathered in the living room, clearly grateful and relieved that had found the solution,all of them obviously unnerved by Buffy's delusion of being in a mental institution. Spike, out of all them, was looking the most worst for wear as he had been the one fighting the demon long enough for the others to get the needle that had poisoned Buffy out of the demon.

"She'll be back flying the wings of sanity in no time," He stated, as though trying to convince himself more than anyone.

"You always come through for her don't you?" Joyce asked, a slight frown lining her face as she truly considered the answer to this question. A question that Spike seemed quite taken aback by.

"What?"

"You really do care about her don't you?" Joyce asked, eyes searching as she looked at Spike who seemed incredibly uncomfortable with the scrutiny, "Like _really _care"

Everyone seemed to be looking at him for an answer, Tara and Joyce looking understanding while the others were merely curious.

"As much as I love the introspective scene love, I've got myself a crypt to get back to if you don't mind," He excused himself uncomfortably, putting on his usual Spike bravado before leaving the house before either Joyce or Tara could question him further, making him look closely at his feelings for Buffy which were confusing at the best of times.

"You know Willow's taking an awfully long time to give Buffy that antidote," Giles said thoughtfully, looking in the direction of the stairs with concern.

"What's your point?" Dawn asked bluntly, still sore over what Buffy had said earlier on about she not existing in the other reality.

"I'm not sure to be honest," Giles admitted, "It's just..."

"I'll go check on them," Tara told him, "Maybe Buffy's too out of it to take it herself...and Willow's trying to help." She suggested, "I'll go lend a hand. Want to help Dawnie?"

Dawn looked very reluctant, but she eventually gave in- wishing to help her sister despite her hurt and the two headed upstairs to help Willow.

"Willow?" Tara called out softly, sensing something was wrong as she reached the top stair. She and Dawn walked on down the hall until they reached Buffy's room. Where they saw Buffy stood above an unconscious Willow, clearly having been knocked out.

"Willow!" Tara rushed forward to her lover, but Buffy grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

"Buffy what are you doing?" Dawn asked in worry that was slowly edging towards panic.

"I have to get well Dawn," Buffy told her, "This is the only way. You're just tricks for my mind"

"What?" Dawn was horrified, "Buffy, you're sick- I'm getting Mom. And Giles" She went to leave but, without letting of Tara, Buffy grabbed hold of Dawn which caused the teen to scream. "Mom!!"

Before she could say another thing though, Buffy threw her against the wall with enough force to knock her out completely. She fell to the floor, silent.

"Buffy," Tara said calmingly, "You need to calm down. Think about this. We're real"

"What's going on?" Giles asked, rushing into the room.

"_Honey, don't worry," Her Mom told her, "Take your time. And you'll be well again. Your Dad and I are always here, we just want to take you home. Just take your time"_

"Giles...I need to get well," Buffy told him, "After I take these downstairs, to the demon, you're joining them. You have to...you're just a trap. For my mind. I want things to be simple again. I want to be well"

"Buffy," He said, taking a slow step toward her, "Just think things over first. You're still not well- I am not going to let you carry on with this, you know that."

"I know," Buffy nodded in acceptance, "I know you won't" Giles seemed relieved for a moment, but a second later she met him with a mean left hook that knocked him to the ground, completely unconscious next to Willow.

"Buffy, _please_," Tara said, as she looked around at her unconscious friends "You have to listen to me."

* * *

Joyce had been unable to run upstairs at the shout of Dawn's cry, for obvious reasons, so Rupert had run up to see what was wrong. It was killing her waiting downstairs though. She needed to know what was going on...and no one was coming back downstairs. She decided to head up the stairs however slowly.

* * *

Buffy was just dragging a now unconscious Tara out of her room, when her Mom came along the landing. 

"Oh my God, Tara," She gasped, "Buffy, what's going on?"

This was the hardest bit. Sure, she had her Mom back in the other reality, but this was her Mom here too. And she was going to have to get rid of her if she was going to be well again.

"I have to...you said it's the only way for me to be healthy again," Buffy told her, sounding so very confused and her Mom went over to her.

"Buffy, I didn't say that. That isn't me. It's not. This is me. Here. Now. Please, Buffy, listen to me"

"I don't know..." Buffy shook her head in confusion, "I don't know...I don't know..."

"_I don't know...I don't know..." Buffy hit her head against the white wall in the hopes that it would bring sense to the entire situation._

"_Buffy, look at me," Her Mom said to her, "Sweetheart, I believe in you. You're a survivor. You have what it-"_

"-Takes. Buffy fight it! You can beat this thing, you're too good to give up" Joyce told her, holding onto her arms tightly to try and bring her back. Buffy shook her head in confusion. Her Mom in both realities were saying the exact same thing. This was just confusing her even more. What was right and what was wrong?

"_Be strong honey. I know you're afraid. I know the world feels like a hard place sometimes, but you've got people that love you. Your Dad and I have all the Faith in the world in you. We'll always be with you. There's a-"_

"- a world of strength in your heart honey. I know there is. You just have to find it again. I know we've been through some very bad times, sweetheart, but don't let that detract from the good. You're too strong for this"

"_Believe in yourself"_

And then it all made sense. Both were real. It was the only way they could both be saying the same thing. Anya's mostly senseless talk about alternate realities came back to her. If there was a world without shrimp, couldn't there be a world where she _was_ just a sick girl in an institution? The point was, that wasn't _her_ world. The Mom talking to her there was Buffy's Mom, but it wasn't her Mom. This was her Mom. The Mom who was presently looking at the unconscious bodies and frowning in disapproval as though she were merely a child who had crayoned all over the wall.

"Buffy, you've knocked everyone out," She said as though Buffy hadn't noticed this little fact. And Buffy broke down. Crying. From confusion. From the pain. From everything. "Oh sweetie, come here," Joyce said, instantly drawing her daughter into a comforting hug, inwardly relieved that she had come to her senses.

"Mom...I-I need the antidote..." She sniffled, pulling away to wipe her eyes.

"Do you still have the one that Willow brought up to you?" Joyce asked and Buffy nodded, "Go get that then. Drink it and then we'll...erm..." She looked at the unconscious bunch again with a wince, "see about waking these up"

Buffy looked on in horror at what she'd done.

"Buffy, this wasn't your fault. None of it. Okay? You weren't well. And you won't be until you have...have whatever it was that Willow and Tara made for you. Don't worry about any of this. _Don't._"

* * *

The next morning was the longest car ride to the hospital they'd had in a long time. Time just seemed to drag. Buffy had desperately wanted to go along with them, so, since Dawn didn't know anything, they had had to enlist Tara and Willow to look after her for the day, telling her that it was merely a check-up. 

Checking in seemed to take even longer, as they filled in the relevant forms,did all the monotonous things doctors and hospitals seemed to require.

Then a doctor sporting the kind expression they all seemed to be trained to wear, came over and told them that everything was ready, and if Joyce would like to come through.

Giles and Buffy sat outside in the waiting room, nervously sat in the terribly plastic chairs, while Joyce had the MRI scan as she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the unnerving, loud, banging noise the scan made. Giles and Buffy weren't even talking. They were just looking at the floor going over thoughts it wasn't healthy to go over.

Results usually took up to two weeks to be received, but fortunately with unfortunate implications, Joyce had been bumped to the top of the list due to the potential urgency. So when the scan was over an hour later, the three of them were told to wait in the corridor and the results would be ready in up to ninety minutes.

Ninety minutes was a long time.


	26. Entropy

Zigpal- Thank you for review, claps, et al. And ah yes, Joyce is headaching again. But I'm not just doing this to poke around in fun at the Joyce Walking Around Scenario, not at all. There is method in my madness, and it will be a key player in...the...last chapter of CS6.

g120- Ah yay, you liked my family car scene. And yes, the fam do have the long wait. Waitage over for them and you though now so...read on mon amie, read on. Oh and thanks for the review of course as always.

rabdireject- Way better than the original? Ooh fans self flattery: always a good. And well, you'll see that Joyce is okay as far as okay goes...but as for the flatlines...well, you prompted me to do an official count and, including bad guys, four people will flatline. I think anyway. It might be three. No four. Argh! It's been a long day so I can't count. And okay, you've been asking for confirmation about the Tara thing for so long...I feel like throwing you a spoiler bone. But the question is- do you really wanna know? .::raises eyebrow questioning::.

* * *

A/N/1: Okay, prepare for a rant of an AN. I had this chapter practically one paragraph off finished on Thursday and then everything all went to hell in a hand basket. Okay, my final year at college, because it's a fourth, is only for one semester...so I thought it wouldn't be too bad...but this, I find, apparently means they cram as many research papers and essays they can in that small amount of time. Hubby's no help. He of the I-finished-College-two-years-ago-and-works-going-great-for-me-you-poor-student brigade (maybe I should retort that this status keeps me very young at heart...but maybe that would be too childish...then again, maybe not) merely said 'oh you can do it honey'. Hmm, thanks, marvelous help. I thought you were meant to be married at least a year before the guy started hmm-thats-great-sweethearting you. So, anyway paper's were preventing completion...and then I've been ill. Yes, I hear your cries of sympathy from afar. I won't give you the gross details but nauseousness followed by the 'results' of nausea are the general consensus. I've been feeling pretty not-perky the past few weeks, so in conclusion, I've granted myself time off..which means I finally got to get on with writing this- my guilty pleasure. When, I'm not giving way to nausea that is. As I said, marvelous. Sorry to give the story of one small chapter of my life there...but well, I had to rant to someone...and all my friends have seemed to have left me. Abandoned me in my state of sickness. Pfft. Also, due to illness and busyness...I feel this isn't one of my best chapters. But it gets better. Promise... 

A/N/2: On a much lighter and less ill note, this Fanfiction is being 're-released'. It's been entered for an on-going series Fanfiction competition. This means it has it's own little site and everything- so very cool. But I have to start from the beginning and air just one chapter/episode every week, starting this coming Tuesday. So this means I'm going all the way back to the beginning (I also have to lengthen out some of the chapters to fit with the criteria which means some chapters are all newish and such) and it's as I'm going over them, and writing Entropy at the same time that I was like 'whoa, things have changed a lot', because I was going over Revelations where Joyce and Giles are like 'what do we have here? Just fun' and then I'm writing this chapter where they're married and they're having a daughter and it's like...either they got carried away or I did. I think it's a little bit of both personally... So anyway, much excitement on that front. Course you can always stop by, have a read- re-live it all again, because it's _just_ so exciting to read. Hehe. Site is: www dot cocorific dot proboards104 dot com.

Even got a picture of an adult Lily on the banner with Buffy and Dawn. .::more geeker joy...though Bethany Lenz wasn't who _I'd _had in mind::.

Anyway, going back to the beginning is mucho fun and has inspired another 'original episode' for Cocorific. For either season 7 or 8...not sure which yet so we will have to see. But promises to be Espenson-esque.

Anyway, I've rambled way too much today, apologies and on with the actual story.

* * *

"Friends? Romans?" Xander called out as he and Anya walked into the Magic Box. They had just arrived back in Sunnydale that morning- immediately dropping their luggage off at home, before deciding to fight off tiredness to see everyone else, and as Anya added, show off. However, they had gone over to Buffy's house to find not a single person there, the same for Tara and Willow's dorm. It was a scoobyless ghost town. So, as a last straw they had headed to the Magic Box. 

"Hey," Willow smiled, as she came out from the back room and Anya sighed in relief.

"Oh thank god,"

"Glad to see me?" Willow smirked, but Anya shook her head as she ran to the counter.

"No- the cash register's still in tact"

"Oh," Willow frowned before turning to Xander with a smile, "You're glad to see me though right Married Man?" She asked.

"Of course I am," He smiled widely, giving her a big hug that caused Will to gasp a little for air, "I've missed my Willster"

"Well, o course ya did," Willow punched his arm playfully as Anya, happy that her cash register was fine, came over to them.

"Where's Tara?" She asked, concerned, "You're in the shop on your own?"

"Believe it or not, I can be trusted around Magical items," Willow defended herself, "It's what all this training's for remember?"

"We know," Xander nodded, "Don't we honey?" Anya grumbled a 'yes', "But still- where is Tara? Where is everyone in fact? We went back to Buffy's and it was deader than...a really dead place"

"Oh my god," Willow said, realizing, "You don't know"

"Know what?" Xander asked, immediately concerned, "Know what Will? What's happened?"

"Today...erm, Joyce has an MRI scan at the hospital. Because of some headaches she's been having a lot lately," Willow told him, "The Doctors think...that it's, might be, a uh a tumor. That's why everyone's gone- they're at the hospital. And Tara took Dawn out for the day...coz, she doesn't know"

"Oh god," Xander covered his mouth with his hand in shock, "But- they don't know for sure right? I mean, it could be nothing? She could be perfectly fine"

Willow nodded sympathetically.

"Sure...but I guess we won't know for sure until they get the results"

"As welcome home gatherings go, this isn't the funnest," Anya said sadly. "And I bought a mini pinata for Dawn. Has real candy in it and everything," She added.

* * *

The waiting room chairs weren't the comfiest at the best of times. Waiting wasn't a comfortable thing to do anyway. Buffy, refusing to just sit around on the seats any longer, had resorted to pacing and wandering off down the corridor to the snack machine every ten minutes. Giles remained seated, but it wasn't like he had a choice anyway. As the recent per norm, Joyce had fallen asleep on him, rendering him unable to get up to even stretch his legs. He couldn't help smiling at the fact that despite the nerve wracking circumstances, Joyce found the ability to fall asleep whereas at night time when there was nothing to worry about she lay awake for hours. 

"Mr and Mrs Giles?" An orderly said, stepping towards them, clipboard in hand.

"Yes?" Giles replied, gently shaking Joyce awake.

"Dr Greeley will see you now,"

* * *

The chairs in that room were even more uncomfortable than the ones outside. It was though the hospital purposely tried to make anyone's experience there as tragically awful as possible. 

"Well, we took a look at the results, Joyce," Doctor Greeley told her, his tone revealing nothing about what information- good or bad- the results held, "and I have to say there's both good news and bad I'm afraid. The good news is that there are no signs of an abscess on the brain, or a tumor...or anything at all actually," He gave the family a moment to express their relief, but only a moment before he was forced to continue with the negative, "The bad news is that your headaches are prompted by something else."

"What is it?" Joyce asked, deadly serious once again, her relief at the results washed away as quickly as it had developed.

"You have a variant of pre-eclampsia," He informed her somberly, "Unfortunately it's not uncommon in expecting Mothers over the age of 35"

"Pre-eclampsia?" Giles questioned, "What is that exactly?"  
"It's not as serious a condition as Toxemia, but it does share similar symptoms and components. Headaches, temporary swelling and high blood pressure." He explained, "Fortunately, your case Joyce is not particularly severe and at this point neither you nor your baby are in any immediate danger. However, there is always the risk there, so I'd advise against standing for long amounts of time. Try to rest as much as possible. Particularly as this does mean, there is a stronger chance of a premature birth now, so, my only advice is try to rest as much as possible. Avoid a lot of stress- do you live in a particularly stressful environment, or lead a life in which you are prone to stress?"

"I-I, uh, I work- I mean I-I own a gallery...but, uh, but I'm on leave now..." Joyce told the doctor, still trying to absorb all the information he was telling her.

"Hmm.." The doctor said thoughtfully as though considering something, "Well, put off answering any calls from employees, even if they are just asking a simple question. Leave all that behind for now, you're only priority right now is staying healthy and remaining as stress-free as possible"

"Stress free as possible?" Buffy asked weakly, thinking how on earth could that kind of environment be possible in their lives?

* * *

"Are you okay?" 

"Yes, for the fifth time Rupert, yes," Joyce said in exasperation as she settled into a comfy seat on the couch.

"And you don't-"

"Buffy, I don't need anything," Joyce cut her off in reply, "Just for you to stop over-nurturing. That's my job"

"We're just glad you're okay, is all," Buffy said, sitting beside her Mom to give her a tight hug that truly showed Joyce how relieved her daughter was.

"Me too," Joyce agreed, hugging her back, before the two pulled apart, "Though honestly I could do with out this high blood pressure warning. Pre-eclampsia was it?"

"Yes," Giles nodded, "But it's not going to be a concern in the slightest, I'll make sure of it," He assured her.

"Yeah," Buffy nodded in agreement, "Until Lily decides she wants to see the big wide world for herself we will make sure your life stays completely stress adjacent"

At the exact moment the front door slammed open causing all three to jump in their seats.

"Dawn, be careful with the door," Tara pleaded, "I kinda don't think the first thing Xander'll want to do once he gets back is put on a new door"

She stepped into the living room with Dawn and saw that Giles, Joyce and Buffy were already home from their trip to the hospital- the reasoning behind Plan: Take Dawn out for the Day. Tara presumed that since they were back home, looking relatively okay then everything had gone fine at the hospital and they weren't about to reveal any devastating news.

"Everything okay?" She asked them, as she set the one bag she and Dawn had down. They had planned a shopping trip, but it had failed miserably when the two had realized that Dawn had stolen from the majority of the stores and although she had returned or paid back everything, it would a while before she would able to show her face in the stores again.

"Yes, it's fine," Joyce said, knowing the deeper meaning of Tara's question.

"Dawn, why don't you drop off your jacket and shoes upstairs?" Buffy prompted for Dawn's temporarily needed departure, "Before they stay down here long enough to be used as sofa shrugs"

"That only happened the once," Dawn grumbled, before heading off in the direction of the stairs. Once she was out of earshot, Tara was able to ask the real question she had wanted to ask when she'd said 'everything okay?'.

"So, everything was fine at the hospital?" She asked, taking a seat in the armchair.

"Relatively so," Joyce admitted, "My headaches weren't as dire as they led us to believe fortunately. However...erm, well there's some high blood pressure apparently"

"Which means Mom needs the uber rest and things kept permanently stress-free"

"Stress-free?" Tara asked, having the exact same thought as Buffy had had earlier on, "Isn't that something hard to do on a Hellmouth"

"Which is why we're going to make every conscious effort to make it possible," Giles told her, "Which reminds me- I have to be at the store in a little while, at least till Anya returns and Buffy has her Saturday class...so would you mind staying with Joyce while we're gone?"

"Okay," Joyce said, sounding as if she were trying to be calm and patient, "Talking about me as though I'm not here does not help with the stress, and I'm not a child- I don't need a babysitter"

"No," Giles admitted, taking her hand, "But I don't want you have to be getting up all time and with Tara here you won't have to"

"I am _not_ staying here, asking Tara to go get me a drink whenever I'm thirsty- I can do fine. It's not that severe, I can do some things"

"Also," Giles added, "Dawn is here and I know how energetically tiring she can unfortunately be and I don't want all that resting on your shoulders right now. I just want you to be comfy, and happy, relaxed and rested"

Joyce smiled reluctantly.

"You really know how to sweet-talk me don't you?" She asked, giving him a small kiss before sighing, "Fine. Have me babysat. Fine. You two go be having-a-life people. I'll just..." She sighed in resignation as she realized what exactly she would be doing, "...sit."

* * *

The wind chime above the shop door, being the only present sound in the Magic Box, drew everyone's attention as Giles walked in. He first saw that Anya and Xander were back. He then saw that while Willow and Xander were sat at the round table, Anya had immediately made to reaffirm her status at the Magic Box by placing herself behind the counter at the cash register, ready to hassle any potential customers. 

"Giles!" She smiled widely, "We're back!" She told him, rushing out from behind the counter to embrace him in a big, eager hug.

"So, I see," He couldn't help but smile back, "Did you uh have a good time?" He realized this question could prompt a socially inappropriate answer from Anya so he quickly rephrased, "That is, uh, was Cyprus...uh, good?"

"Yes, it was fantastic. We brought lots of gifts" Anya nodded with a wide grin, "And honeymoon sex is _great. _Way better than ordinary"

"That's uh...uh..." Giles truly struggled for what to say in reply to that so he instead turned his attention to Xander, "Xander, welcome back. Did you uh...I uh..." He really didn't want to ask anything that would be an opportunity for elaboration on Anya's answer, "Was the, the flight good?"

"Chevy Chase movie," Xander replied with a slight grimace, before becoming serious, "How's Joyce? Is everything okay?"

"What? Pardon?"

"I told him," Willow explained to Giles, "When they got back they uh didn't know anything...obviously..." She looked at Giles, concern in her eyes, "So is she? O-okay I mean...with the okayness?"

"She's fine," Giles smiled reassuringly, "False alarm. She erm, the headaches were prompted by a less severe case of pre-eclampsia. High blood pressure and all that," He smiled, almost in disbelief at the fact that everything was okay, "Nothing to worry about after all."

"Good," Xander let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, "All is good. So she's home now?"

"Yes," Giles nodded, "With Tara and Dawn."

"Ooh great, then we can go over and give the gifts now," Anya said excitedly, looking like an eager seven year old child on a clichéd Christmas morning.

"Well, actually- she's meant to be as getting as much rest as possible..." Giles informed her carefully and Anya frowned in confusion.

"What's more restful than presents? Personally I can't have a stress-free day without a gift in the morning"

For that Willow and Giles gave Xander a questioning one-raised-eyebrow look.

"What?" He frowned, before realizing what they were presuming and he hurried to correct them, "Oh no! For once, she's been literal not...like kinky. She makes me wrap up little gifts for her to unwrap every morning"

"It's why I have so many earrings," Anya added with a smile. "So conclusion? We go give gifts now" She grabbed hold of Xander's hand and started dragging him out the shop door. Before they left she turned back to Giles to shout, "You two can look after the store"

* * *

"Hey, the gift-givers are here," Xander called out as he and Anya pushed open the hardly-ever-locked door of Revello Drive and walked into the living room where they found Dawn curled in a chair watching a TV show while her Mom was sat in the corner of the sofa, legs out stretched in front of her as she read. At the sound of Xander's voice though both Mother and Daughter lost attention in what they were presently doing, Dawn even switched off the TV while Joyce put aside her book. 

"Xander," Joyce smiled, "Anya. I didn't know you two were back"

"We got back this morning," Xander told her, "Couldn't wait to see everyone so we're fighting an urge to fall asleep where we stand"

"Welcome to the club," Joyce grinned, "This may be the crazy hormones talking but it's really, really lovely to see you two" She told him, gesturing for them to come over and hug her. Which obviously they did- Anya seeming more eager for the Motherly attention than Xander, who tried to retain some of his cool manliness.

"Now don't bite my head off or anything," He told her after pulling out of the hug, "But you've got a whole lot bigger since we left"

"Since you're smiling as you say that, I'm going to choose to take that as a compliment," Joyce informed him

"My turn now," Dawn informed the couple suddenly, walking over to give them both hugs. "So what'd you bring?" She asked semi-greedily once the hugging portion of the program was over.

"Lots of..." Xander trailed off, looking around with a frown, "Where's Tara? Giles said she was here"

"Oh she's upstairs. She should be down in a minute"

As if on cue, Tara came down the stairs, breaking out in a warm smile as she saw the Harrises were back.

"Xander, Anya- you're back," She smiled, walking over to them, "Oh, it's great to see you"

"That's the general consensus," Xander grinned after more huggage, "The only person we've yet to see is the Buffster. Where is she anyway?"

"College," Joyce explained, "Her Saturday class"

"Well, we can catch her later," Anya waved the concern aside before turning to Xander with an excitable grin, "C'mon, I wanna give Dawn the mini pinata."

No one knew quite how to respond to that.

* * *

Buffy would have liked her walk back from college to have been an uneventful one. It was why she had chosen to walk, instead of taking the bus. She had wanted some freedom, some rare quiet time to herself. Of course, that never worked out for her did it? Spike had been there, in one of the shadowy parts of Sunnydale, safe from the beams of the lethal sun. He made her so confused! Just when she thought she had everything figured out. 

Friends. That's all, friends. And if he didn't like it then screw him. But then she saw him, he gave her that look...that understanding...and she found herself wanting more than friendship. But it wasn't like they could have a proper relationship was it? Just sex. Okay, so it was really, really great, hot sex...but still just sex. She'd be using him and being friends with him had made things so much simpler...damn! Why did he make things so freakin' confusin?!

In frustration she kicked out at the nearest thing in her vicinity which happened to be a rather ugly garden gnome placed next to the trunk of a tree in her front garden. She frowned at the rather disgusting statuette with intense dislike. The frown quickly became one of confusion and perplexity however when she saw something was inside the shattered gnome.

She stepped forward cautiously, crouching down on the ground slowly to get a better look before she picked the item up. Holding it in her hands she saw it was a small, black, whirring, camera. A secret camera. Having been pointed directly at her house.

"Warren," Buffy said quietly, menace in the name as she planned in what many many different ways she was going to kill the Nerd Trio. Standing up straight she stormed up the path to her house to show the others what she'd found and hopefully call Willow over so she could do something to find out where for sure the three pesky little geeks lived.

* * *

Buffy was holding the camera tightly and angrily in her hand as she stormed into her house in disgusted frustration, but all her anger flew out of her immediately when she caught sight of the fact Xander and Anya were in the living room sat with her Mom, Dawn and Tara, and therefore back from Cyprus. 

"Xander!" Buffy exclaimed happily and he looked up in pleasant surprise, "You're back"

"Buffy, hey," He grinned, walking over for a hug. "It's great to see you...and what is that your jamming into my stomach?"

"Oh!" Buffy pulled away in apology, holding up the small black camera (that had been poking Xander) she had in her hand.

"What's that?" He frowned, taking it off her for a closer look.

"Camera," She explained monosyllabiclally.

"A camera?" Joyce frowned, "Where did you get it Buffy?"

"I found it," Buffy told her and the others, "Outside. Hid in our garden and pointed directly at this house. Somebody's been watching us. You have three guesses who"

"Wait, you think Warren and the others have done this?" Tara asked and Buffy nodded.

"Only they have the geek merits to come up with something as nerdily perverted as this."

"Good point," Dawn nodded grimly, trying to ignore the fright shivers she was getting from the creep factor of knowing someone had been filming their every move.

"So what are you gonna do?" Anya asked, "I mean, you've not been able to find them yet. They move out just as soon as you get there," She looked at the camera, "Guess now we know how"

"I'm gonna call Willow," Buffy told them all, "Get her to come over here- maybe trace where this camera's connected to- give me a location"

"Well, she's at the Magic Box with Giles," Xander told her, "So call there...you know, not her dorm"

"Right"

* * *

"How's it coming?" Buffy asked Willow later on as everyone was gathered around Will at her laptop. It was much later on, night had completely fallen, and Willow was still trying to break through all the encryptions and into the feeds. "Can you see where they're getting the camera signal?" 

"Are you okay here?" Giles asked Joyce, sounding intensely concerned. They were in the dining room and Joyce had insisted she not be left sat in the living room on her own and that she would feel much better, much more relaxed if she was sat with all of them instead of worrying from afar.

"I'm fine sat here," Joyce told him for the she'd lost count how many times, "Sat over there not knowing about why we have cameras watching us would only make me more stressed okay? This is better" She smiled reassuringly and he seemed partially-happy with this reasoning.

"Should have something once I get tapped into the fiber-optic network." Willow explained as she typed away, "We're gonna use the feedback relay to get their signal routed into our system"

"We'll uh...just pretend that made sense," Xander told her with a slight grin and Anya nodded in confused agreement.

"Just as long as it gets me the location I don't care if she starts speaking Klingon," Buffy admitted.

"Can't help thinking that maybe you were closer than you thought the day we gave you those addresses" Willow said, still typing away at an incredible rate.

"And they sent the Psycho Demon to interrupt me"

"It does make relative sense," Giles reasoned, "In their own uh.."

"Nerdy way?" Dawn filled in helpfully.

"Well I was going to say chaotic but ah..."

"I. Want. To. Find. These. Guys," Buffy stated, tightly controlled anger in his voice.

Something on the laptop beeped loudly.

"Hey! I think I got something"

"Talk to me Will," Buffy said, taking a seat beside her friend to have a closer look at the screen herself.

"Technology's pretty sophisticated," Will told her and the others, "lots of booby traps and firewalls stuff..."

"Nerds," Xander smirked.

"Oh yeah," Willow said, not looking away from the screen as she continued to type her way through numerous codes. In her time since sitting down at the laptop Willow had only taken her eyes away from the screen once- and that had been to send a Secret Smile Tara's way, "But you know, who is the bigger nerd? The nerd or the nerd who breaks through the defense system?" Without pausing for breath she added, "Don't answer that- whoa, hey"

"What?" Giles asked.

"Oh my god..." Buffy breathed as she looked at the screen, "There's more than one camera..."

"They're everywhere," Willow told them all, "Here, the Magic Box, mine and Tara's dorm...the college... even Joyce's work...they're everywhere..."

"Everywhere I've been anyway..." Buffy said, "They've even got one at Xander's place and I've not been there in weeks..."

"Then that means...they've been doing this for a very long time..." Joyce said, clearly utterly creeped out by the thought.

"And none of us knew..." Giles said, unintentionally adding to the creep factor.

"Anyone else officially too paranoid to sleep tonight?" Dawn asked, raising a hand as she did so.

"It's not gonna come to that," Buffy said, Slayer-face on. "This is it. I have had it. We have been going easy on them for far too long. I am going to hunt them down, find them and kill them"

"Kill them?" Giles questioned, "Buffy they're human you can't-"

"Well, I'll put them in jail for a gazillion years," She amended, "Either way. This ends now"


	27. Seeing Red

Jason Barnett- Okay, I'm not sure I'm entirely knowledgable enough on this particular front to comment on the abilities of the Sunnydale police, but if you're referring to how they successfully arrested Andrew and Jonathon then I would have to reason that the Sunnydale PD are very good at solving natural crime, but when it smells of anything slightly supernatural they tend to turn a blind eye. I don't know whether that covers your exclamative. As for the human killing, the zoo keeper was thrown into hyena pit almost accidentally, as a defence on Buffy's part (the same as with the coach in 'Go Fish') as for the mercenaries in season three...I have to admit I'm not sure who you're talking about there, but if I assume you mean the germans in Homecoming then...well, they technically killed each other and since they were in something entitled 'Slayerfest' that officially signs them up for the possibility of being Slayed. (Or is it slew...?)

Zigpal- Claps _and_ a cheek kiss? You spoil me! And I'm very glad you're intrigued, very glad...it's always the intent after all! haha. And as for the 100 comment...I'm at about 65-70 now...whether this is an improvement or not, I'll let you know. hehe. Thanks for the review.

Rabidreject- Ooh, I love it when you awesome me. hehe. And don't worry all becomes (semi) clear in this chapter. And ooh, you checked the site then? Hehe. I admit, I geeked in a terribly childish way when I saw graphicy goodness. And now, I have bloggage on there as well apparently so...well, I'll be writing and ranting. haha. Thanks for the rewiew.

* * *

A/N: Okay, still ill hence the earlier update for...llness means time off. Time off means anytime I'm not uber ill...I give into this. Just posted 'Revelations' on Tuesday on the Cocorific site...man, I re-wrote it a lot longer than intended. The First Date scene for Joyce and Rupert is sooooo much longer this time and I really extended the dialogue and the thoughts etc. It was so much fun. My only (admittedly slightly cheesy) explanation for that is that after writing this for several months I feel I know the two characters so much better than when I started, I'm much more comfortable with them now. It sounds ridiculous but in a weird way when I write something for one of them now I find myself sometimes saying 'no, he/she wouldn't say that. he/she would more likely say this...yeah, that's right'. So it's fun re-writing the earlier chapters with all this knowledge addability. teehee. Okay, egocentric rant over (ooh did I tell you Mona (FF challenge person...thingy...bob...director person...) has adding a blog onto the site I told you about? She's giving me oppurtunity to blog. With all this bed rest I've been doomed to lately...I may go a little nuts telling you and the rest of the world about my life. Whoops. Hopefully, I'll refrain from overshare.) 

Anyhoo, on with the show.

* * *

The front door slammed shut as someone left the house at the early hours of seven am on a Saturday. 

"She's gone looking for those three again," Joyce mumbled, still half-asleep in bed.

"She is persistent," Giles agreed, sounding just as sleepy. It had been over two weeks since they had discovered the camera and Buffy still had yet to actually find the pests. "Willow believes she has found their actual most recent location though," He added, "So maybe today she will find them, hopefully"

"Maybe..." Joyce mumbled sounding incredibly sleepy and Giles frowned.

"Joyce, are you _actually_ awake?" He asked, wondering whether she was just asleep and answering with reflexive responses.

"No," She replied, not opening her eyes, "Not officially. It is seven o clock in the morning and I didn't fall completely to sleep until four thanks to _your_ lovely daughter tossing and turning all night long. So, in conclusion, no, I'm not awake"

"Maybe you'd like breakfast..." Giles said, spooning against her and putting his arm around her, "in bed..."

"No," She said firmly, "When I wake up I intend to _get up. _Another day spending all my time being forced to stay in bed will kill me"

"For someone supposed to be asleep, you're talking an awful lot," He pointed out softly.

"Stop prompting me to talk then..." She replied quietly, evidently falling back into slumber land with ease. That is until Dawn started knocking on the bedroom door.

"Mom? Mom?"

Joyce sighed in resignation before replying.

"What? Honey, what are you doing up so early?"

"Buffy woke me up," Dawn replied through the door, "But erm...I can't open the kitchen door- that cat's there again"

"What?" Being half-asleep was causing Joyce to become very, very confused by what Dawn was telling her, "What cat?"

"There's been a cat prowling our garden for the past week," Giles explained to Joyce quietly, "He keeps trying to get into the house"

It then became so very clear to Joyce why Dawn was suddenly telling her this information now.

"We're not keeping him as a pet, Dawn" She told her and there was a moment of silence in response before an 'awww, why not?', "Because." was Joyce's answer.

"But I'd look after him," Dawn pleaded but her Mother was adamant.

"No, Dawn. I love cats as much as anyone...but it's too dangerous here for pets- not to mention what happened to Tara and Willow's kitten"

"I didn't mean to leave the crossbow lying around!" Dawn exclaimed in defense, "and-"

"Dawn," Giles cut into his stepdaughters ramblings, "It's relatively early. If we're going to discuss this matter at all, it will be at a more reasonable hour, okay?"

"Fine," Dawn grumbled in acceptance of the compromise before the couple heard the teenager return to her room.

"You do know you've just given her hope for 'yes'," Joyce told him, "Which is never gonna happen"

"Well, would you prefer that she remained at the door, firing arguments at you?" Giles replied and Joyce couldn't help but agree, however she did so silently, "You are meant to be remaining relaxed and calm and unbothered..." He told her quietly, trailing kisses along the back of her neck that while they didn't send the shivers that she normally got in response (which she had stopped having the past month or so. Just plain stopped...which was frustrating to say the least for both parties) they were warm and calming and...oh, she was drifting back off to sleep again.

"S'nice..." She mumble, eyes closed once again, prompting Rupert to laugh quietly at her.

"Just a perfectly relaxing day..." He told her.

* * *

"Oh my God, Buffy, what happened?" Joyce exclaimed in shock when she saw Buffy come back home holding a load of papers and looking a little worse for wear with a massive slice of a tear in her leather jacket. She went to get up to go over to her daughter, but due to the fact she was meant to be getting as much rest as possible, Giles put a firm yet gentle hand on Joyce's shoulder that forced her back into her seat before she'd even had a chance to stand up fully. 

"Found the Trio," Buffy told them, "Or rather found their little booby trap." She held up the arm that wore the ripped sleeve, "All over with the slicey and dicey. I did get these though," She dropped the pile of papers on the coffee table

"So you found where they were then?" Giles asked, picking up a few papers, shuffling through them for a closer look.

"Yeah, found the Nerd Lair, but they must have known...they left in a hurry though. Their van was gone but everything else was still there...and well, with buzz saws there's nothing to go back for- so my guess? They left in a hurry for something _real _important if they didn't care about their Obi Wans"

"Well, hopefully this should all be helpful," Giles said, gesturing at the papers.

"Yeah," Buffy agreed, "Maybe something will tell us where they're heading...or what they're planning or..." She trailed off as she saw Giles pick up a book and half of the text drop back to the table, leaving only half pages in Giles' hand.

"This may take quite some time," He estimated.

"Maybe we should call the others," Buffy suggested, looking at all the shredded texts with a grimace. She shuffled through the remaining books and found the majority to be of the sliced and diced variety, "like right now"

* * *

"I used to be a vicious killer," Spike grumbled as tried to fix one of the more ripped apart books that Buffy had collected, "Everyone feared me, shivered at my name. Now I'm trying to fix a book back together to help a Slayer defeat a trio of pathetic nerds. How the mighty have fallen" the vampire sighed sadly in his seat at the dining room table, before looking over at Buffy, "I hope you realize what you've done to me love"

"Moving on," Buffy said abruptly, in a slightly higher tone than usual so eager was she to change the subject, "Anya- you got anything there?"

The ex-demon held up several pieces of paper she had cellotaped together.

"I think theses may be blueprints" She told Buffy, squinting at the line drawings on the papers.

"Well that's good," Buffy said, trying to be as positive as possible "That's progress...but blueprints for what?"

"That we have yet to discover," Xander informed her, "It's like a jigsaw really...all we need is a blue piece with a squiggly gray line and we're set"

"Or hey- disk answers," Willow contributed as the laptop bleeped in response to a few clickyness taps of her computer whispering hands on the keys..

"The blueprints are on here," Tara explained and almost everyone gathered around the computer screen for a closer look.

"Well, this certainly clears a lot of things up for us," Giles commented.

"Clears what up?" Joyce asked, walking into the room.

"Joyce, what are you doing downstairs?" Rupert asked, going over to her in concern, "You're meant to be getting as much as rest as possible. In bed"

"I can get up for a drink if I wish, I'm not a child," Joyce protested, shrugging Rupert's hand off her shoulder in annoyance, "And I'm fed up of you and Buffy making me keep going to bed. I can walk about perfectly fine, that's not going to do anything"

"The doctor said for you-"

"To rest as much as I can, I know," She nodded, "But I can rest downstairs can't I?" Rupert seemed reluctant, "Please, I want to be down here. It's...lonely up there. I feel isolated" She looked dangerously emotional as she said this so Rupert immediately hurried to agree with what she was requesting.

"Okay, okay," He told her, leading her over to a seat at the dining room table, "But please- I don't want you researching any of this or...anything? Okay? I don't want you doing anything that could cause undue stress"

"I don't know whether to consider all that sweet or annoying," She told him honestly as she sat down, but Giles was prevented answering when Spike started sniffing the air in a rather cat-like way.

"Spike?" Giles prompted as everyone at the table looked at the bleached blond vampire oddly.

"Your blood..." Spike said to Joyce, puzzlement in his voice, "Smells...different. Warmer" At this comment Joyce looked nervously to Giles, thinking right there and then that she now considered his over-caring sweet and no longer annoying. Aware that the room had become deathly quiet, Spike pulled away from Joyce, resuming his normal couldn't-care-less temperament, "Sorry about that. Just thought..." They all continued to look at him, "I _am_ still a vampire, remember?" He prompted in exasperation.

"You were saying what Will?" Buffy asked, desperate for a change in topic and everyone listened to the redhead, relieved to have something else to focus on besides the painfully obvious reminder that Spike was indeed a bloodsucking fiend. If a little out of the business.

"I think I've found one of their data CDs," She explained, "It's filled with encrypted blueprints, schematics..."

"To what exactly?" Giles asked, wanting to have a look at the screen himself but besides having a strong feeling he wouldn't understand the encrypted maps anyway, he also didn't feel comfortable leaving Joyce's side. So what if she considered him ridiculously overprotective? The Doctor had told him at their last appointment that he should keep an eye on her and look after her as much as possible, keeping her in a stress free bubble as it were, and that's what he fully intended to do. No matter how much his lately unpredictable wife kept trying to defy him for no other apparent reason than simple boredom.

"I don't know," Willow admitted, "Their designations have been stripped"

"Maybe we can cross-reference them with the county clerk's office..." Tara suggested.

"We won't be able to do that till tomorrow," Buffy sighed, "And we need to find these jerks as soon as..." She stopped looking at the screen and stood up straight, practically entering pacey-slayer-think mode as she considered what their best options were, "Okay, do the county clerk office thingy tomorrow...that'll hopefully reveal a lot...but Xander? Anya? Check out any haunts the geeksome might be heading at. If something big is gonna do down they maybe feeling pretty full of themselves, celebratory- so check local bars. But also check the dingy spots. Quiet places, caves maybe? Anywhere they maybe trying to work some last minute magic mojo. Maybe you'll get lucky. I'll patrol everywhere else, beat up some demons- see if they know anything."

"I'm for that, Slayer," Spike told her, standing up but she shook her head.

"No, Spike. You're not coming with me," She told him. When she was with him, alone, particularly in a dark place- as was most common at night time- things got confusing. Her feelings for him and what she wanted from him. She couldn't deal with that confusion right now. She needed a clear head, "You...can check demon bars. Or something. But you're not coming with me"

Joyce was the only one in the group at the dining room table that noticed Spike's hurt expression.

* * *

It was much later on into the night, Dawn was back from having tea at Janice's and was now tucked in bed, but Buffy had yet to return from her patrol. Giles was still trying to decipher the many severed texts everybody had been looking at all day and so he had been too distracted to notice Joyce had gotten up off the sofa and headed into the kitchen to get a drink herself. It was as she was reaching for a glass tumbler that she felt a twinge that caused her to stop. Nothing lethal she knew, no more than Braxton Hicks, but that didn't make it any less painful though they were considerably mild.

"You alright?" A voice asked and she turned around to see Spike stood there, near the doorway, looking for lack of a better description,awkward.

"Spike," She sighed in relief, having been momentarily panicked about who was in the kitchen, "You're still here? I thought Buffy wanted you to go to the demon bars." She paused a moment in thought, as something came to her that oddly enough had never occurred to her before, "We have _demon bars_?"

"That's Buffy innit?" He questioned in a way that required no answer, "Always sending me from place to another. Back and forth"

"She's just..."

"Using me," Spike said before Joyce could choose her own word, "Don't worry, I know the facts. I know what they are."

"No, Spike," Joyce shook her head, "She does care about you. A lot. Just..." She sighed, "Just not in the way you'd like her to"

"And she never will, will she?" He asked, in a way that suggested that thought was only just reaching him, and Joyce shook her head sadly 'no'.

"I'm afraid not," She told him.

"I guess it's the case for any guy she gets with though innit? Sadly enough" He said, "I mean it doesn't help she thinks I'm a soulless, evil vampire...which I am"

"You haven't been evil for a long time Spike," Joyce told him, "Not matter how much you try to play up to the contrary"

"Either way..." Spike sighed, "Peaches will always be her ideal man"

"Peaches?" Joyce frowned, wondering who the hell 'peaches' was.

"You know? Angel." He explained, "Vampire also. Very brooding. Caveman brow. Stupid hair. Got a soul..." Suddenly Spike seemed lost in his own thoughts, "Yeah...got the whole tortured soul thing annhe? S'what she goes for..."

"Spike?" Joyce prompted worriedly after Spike fell into silence for a good few minutes.

"Sorry," He apologized, abruptly snapping out of it, "Just thinking to meself. Well, I'd best get to those demon bars. Wouldn't look too good, not to at least check em out would it?" He headed back to the kitchen door, but before he left, he turned to look at Joyce, "You know, Rupes got the right idea you know? Tryin' to make you rest. Your blood's not quite right Joyce, I know he's a pain in the arse in the know-it-all brigade but... you'd do well to listen to him."

"Thanks..." Joyce was slightly confused by the deep sincerity of which Spike said this, "I will..."

"Right," Spike nodded, opening the door and walking outside, "See you around Joyce," He said as he closed the door after him and it wouldn't be till much, much later that Joyce realized how truly final Spike's words were.

* * *

"Come on Xander, the geeks aren't here," Anya complained as she and her husband looked around another in a long line of Sunnydale bars. "They're off plotting another of their little pathetic 'evil' schemes. If they're gonna be anywhere else they'll be partying with Comic Book Guy, not Sunnydale's mild elite"

"You're probably right," Xander sighed, "Let's just go back, tell Buffy we came up nothing"

Just as the two were about to leave the bar there was a commotion to their far right and a moment later a tall, muscular guy went flying through the air, over the central pool table. Looking in the direction the guy had flown from, Anya and Xander saw Warren there with a twisted grin on his face.

"Or Buffy could have been right on the money,"Xander added.

Warren walked over to the bar, pure confidence and arrogance in his step.

"Don't worry about the tab ladies," He grinned, slamming down on the cash register so the till opened involuntarily, spilling over with dollar bills, "It's on Daddy tonight" As he started removing cash from the register, not caring of how he was in sight of everyone, one of the women sat at the bar started crying with fright and Warren turned to her, causing her to flinch, "Aw, don't worry baby." Warren told her, running a bill softly over her arm, "Daddy's gonna give you some too..."

"See now," Xander said loudly, interrupting Warren's little rampage as he walked over, Anya behind him supportively, "I think it's the 'Daddy' part that's throwing her, coz incest? Not that sexy...So why don't we leave the ladies to their impending nausea and move the freak show outside?"

"I don't know...I kinda like it staying in here," Warren applied with an almost predatory grin, "Bigger audience for when I kick your ass and start comforting your girl"

"You stay away from Anya," Xander warned, but Warren completely ignored him, focusing his entire attention on Anya.

"What'd ya say baby? How'd you like to spend some time with a real man?"

"You're not even a real _boy_," Anya scoffed in complete and utter distaste and Warren's expression darkened considerably. He headed towards Anya in complete fury, but Xander intercepted him.

"I _said _stay from her," He reminded Warren and Anya wore a look of pure pride over Xander's defenderyness.

"Funny how little that does," Warren replied, before going to head for Anya again. Xander slugged him without warning but the head of the Nerdly Three didn't even twitch while Xander was almost crippled by the pain in his hand. He and Anya could only look on at Warren in confused and silent shock.

"You hit like a girl," Warren told him simply with a smile as he grabbed Xander's hand and twisted it around effortlessly.

"Oh my god! Xander!" Anya gasped, "Stop that!" She hit Warren on the offending arm repeatedly but it did nothing.

"Hey," Andrew said, stepping forward to defend Warren, "Don't do that" Anya pushed the blond weasel aside with very little effort but he lost his balance and went toppling into one of the nearby bar stools causing a near domino effect throughout the establishment.

"I hit like a girl?" Xander asked Warren, speaking through the pain, "Well at least I know how to get one"

If it could be viewed possible, Warren's expression darkened even further before he grabbed Xander by his shirt front and tossed him across the room as if he were no more than a paper doll.

"Xander!" Anya exclaimed, going to run after him, but Warren grabbed her arm tightly, pulling her towards him. "Get off me!"

"C'mon sugar, enjoy the attention of a real man," He purred, but Anya just looked completely and utterly disgusted. She tugged and tugged against him but his grip was Slayer strong and she couldn't break free, so she did the only thing she could think of. She spat at him. He recoiled in shock, which quickly turned to Anger. "You'll pay for that, you little bitch"

He went to strike her in fatal way, and Xander struggled to get up, to help her, but he was too badly injured by the fall. However, Warren was stopped mid-swing by a hand on his arm. Jonathon's arm.

"Warren, we have to go," He said calmly, but there was a touch of plea to his voice. Warren glared at him and he quickly released his arm.

"We go when I'm ready"

"Hey, your call," Jonathon said, backing up a little while pointing at his watch to indicate what time it was to Warren, "But we're gonna miss that thing that you wanted to do tonight if we don't go now. That's all I'm saying"

"Guess, it's your lucky day," Warren said, shoving Anya away in the direction of the now (barely) standing Xander.

"We're just gonna leave them?!" Andrew asked in panic as he followed after Warren at an urgent pace, "What if they sic the Slayer on us?!"

Warren just shrugged as the three of them reached the exit.

"Bring her on"

* * *

"Banks...armored car routes...corporate vaults..." Buffy murmured as she, Giles and Dawn, Joyce having being permitted to rest downstairs but officially forbidden from contributing in anyway to research, looked through all the papers they had manages to tape back together whole. "This is definitely big"

"And Oceans Elevensy," Dawn added.

"Well, if what we've gathered from all this is correct then this the one they'll uh 'hit' tonight," Giles said, passing Buffy the appropriate information on one particular vault.

At that moment the front door open and in walked, or rather stumbled, Anya and Xander who looked a little worse for wear.  
"Xander, Anya, what happened?" Joyce asked in major worry and concern, motherly instincts instantly telling her to get up and see to them, but Giles in some recently developed reflex automatically put a hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her back into her seat on the sofa. She didn't argue with him, but he received an annoyed glare for his troubles.

"We found Warren," Anya told her, leading Xander into the living room so he could sit down, "He threw Xander across the room without so much as breaking a sweat"

"What?" Buffy frowned, "How?"

"Who knows?" Xander shrugged then winced as the action caused him pain, "All I know is Warren's gone mighty mouse. Emphasis on the might"

"Buffy, if this is true..." Giles said, when Xander cut him.

"Oh believe me it's true. And tomorrow I'll have the bruises to prove it"

"Well then," Giles acknowledged Xander's addage, "Buffy you will have to be careful when you come across these three tonight"

"If Warren's truly gone Hercules on us then that means one thing," Buffy said, standing up completely in Slayer mode, "That I don't have to hold back"

* * *

The next day was all the much brighter after Buffy's defeat of Warren and the other members of the Trio. Okay, so Warren was still on the loose, but he was just one pathetic guy and the other two were in jail for attempted robbery. Joyce liked it when things worked out like this, it was usually followed by a period of intense calm and normalcy that fitted so much into everything that Joyce wanted from life, and she felt Buffy also wanted that very same thing. Buffy always complained about wanting a normal life and in these brief periods of respite, Buffy got that small chance.

Speaking of, Buffy was outside now. Sat in the garden, looking very much alone and sad. Joyce frowned in concern and didn't hesitate in deciding to go outside and see what was the matter.

"Buffy?" She called, walking over and when her daughter looked up at the sound of her name, Joyce saw her eyes were watery and her cheeks glistening. She'd been crying.

"Mom," Buffy said in recognition, hurrying to wipe her tears away even though it was obvious Joyce had already seen them. "I was just..."

"Crying?" Joyce asked softly, taking a seat beside her daughter on the garden bench. "Buffy, what's wrong?"

For a moment it looked as though Buffy wasn't going to say anything, she just stared at the ground, her eyes blank as though she wasn't seeing anything at all, not a strand of grass in front of her. Then she pursed her lips together as though summoning up all her inner bravery before turning to her Mom and opening up completely.

"Spike's gone..."

"What?"

"Spike's gone." Buffy repeated. "I went by his place...before...and Clem was there. He'd left last night...while I was fighting Warren. Saying something about 'nothing being good enough' and something about me...how I'll never accept him"

A very recent memory suddenly came back to Joyce.

"_You know? Angel." Spike explained, "Vampire also. Very brooding. Caveman brow. Stupid hair. Got a soul..." Suddenly Spike seemed lost in his own thoughts, "Yeah...got the whole tortured soul thing annhe? S'what she goes for..."_

"Why do I do that?" Buffy asked, sounding so very much like a lost child who simply needed her Mother, "Why does everyone run away from me? Why do I keep driving them away? Is there something wrong with me?"

"Of course not sweetie," Joyce told her sincerely, "Of course not. Sometimes these things...just happen..."

"But they keep happening," Buffy said sadly, "Again...and again...and again.."

"Oh sweetheart," Joyce said sympathetically, pulling Buffy into her arms for a well needed hug, giving her the only comfort she could right now and her daughter settled into the hug, drawing strength from it.

* * *

As Dawn came into the kitchen for a second bowl of cereal she felt peckish enough to eat, she heard a scratching at the back door. She frowned, knowing the sound was familiar but not quite able to pinpoint it's origin. So, to solve the mystery she simple headed across the kitchen and pulled the back door open. Without a second warning for Dawn to close the door again, the cat that had been hovering in their back garden for the past week or so dashed in, brushing past Dawn's legs, leaving gray cat hairs stuck to her thin, white patterned tights and ran along the dining room.

"No!" Dawn exclaimed, running after the cat, "Bad kitty!"

She chased the feline up the stairs, hoping to corner it at some point so she could scoop it up and put it back outside before her Mom realized and accused Dawn of purposely letting the cat in.

As the cat reached the landing though, it turned right in the direction of her Mom and Giles' room from where Giles' was presently just exiting.

"Giles- cat alert!" Dawn yelled, "Geddit! Geddit!"

"What? Where?" Giles looked around, thoroughly confused, and automatically panicked by Dawn's urgent tone. He saw the cat rush past him, in a gray and white blur, and under the bed and he and Dawn ran over in sync to stand on opposite sides of the bed to try and catch the cat one way or another. The sunlight pouring through one of the windows in the room, the curtains now pulled back, slightly hindered Giles' sight as he tried to spot the feline.

* * *

Buffy held onto her Mom tightly, trying to get all the comfort she could from that one simple hug. Of all the demons she faced and no matter how brave she continued to be, Buffy never felt as safe as when she was in her Mother's arms.

"You think that you can just do that to me?!" An angry voice broke into the tender moment and Mother and daughter turned to see Warren stood there at the end of the garden in a complete rage. Buffy automatically stood up, to face Warren but also to stand protectively in front of her Mother. "That I'd let you get away with it?! Think again-" In one swift, too fast-to-be-predicted movement Warren pulled out a gun from an inside pocket and fired. Again. And again. And again. And again.

The only sound besides the cry of gunfire was the smash of one of the bedroom windows being shot through by a stray bullet.


	28. Villains

Rabidreject- You think you've got it? Hmmm...I don't know because what the real big change is in this arc is how it all falls into place and how the Big Bad is stopped. And as for flat lines...some are in this chapter, yes, so all should be answered there (at least partially anyway), but you may also realize my little trick. And thanks, glad you liked the chapter and how the Spike/Buffy storyline was played out. Thanks, and hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.

zigpal- I killed Dawn. Or did I? Haha. Well, either way it's Joyce who's getting the worse of it all, everything coming down around her, which, admittedly will set some things in motion. And personally, I'm hoping everyone's happy with this. Hehe. Thanks for the review, and my claps.

g120- Gotta love a cliffhanger, sorry! Haha. Glad you liked how the Spuffy thing played out, I had to really think over how I could still get Spike to get his soul whislt sticking in this semi-AU. Hence the Joyce talkage. She's such a catalyst. Thanks for the review.

* * *

A/N: Okay, this chapter and the three coming after it have been the hardest to write ever. To keep the storyline in tact, bu t deviate it enough without it being ridiculous and keeping it believable. Complicated. Hopefully, you will all like where it's going and the truth will be revealed about some flatlines (Love me or hate me for it...up to you). As for the next chapter- that's when things will reallystart to play out differently. Enjoy.

* * *

"Do you think Buffy will have stopped Warren?" Tara asked Willow curiously as the two walked along Revello Drive in the direction of Buffy's house. 

"Totally," Willow smiled, "What's a little might in the face of Buffy? Plus," She added with a smile, "We didn't get a Scooby call saying 'more work to do'"

"Good point..." Tara agreed.

"Well, I always think positive," Willow told her with a broad smile which fell immediately when they heard the loud sound of a gun being fired numerous times. At Buffy's house.

"Oh my god," Willow gasped, changing her casual walk to a run within seconds and she and Tara ran over to Buffy's house, bursting through the front door in a panic. "Buffy! Dawn!" No body answered, and the silence that answered her was too eerie to comprehend. But as she herself fell silent she heard slight sounds from upstairs. With one quick 'you heard that too?' glance at Tara the two of them ran up the stairs taking practically three at a time.

"Giles?" Willow called, as she turned in the direction of the sound- Joyce and Giles' room. "Oh my god..." She gasped as she saw the horrific sight.

"What is..." Tara trailed off as she too walked into the room and first saw Giles on the phone, clearly talking to emergency services, and then she saw the reason why he was doing such. Dawn was flat on the floor, eyes wide and dilated and her body was quivering. She had a deep shot wound in her right shoulder and the blood was seeping out at an alarming rate, staining her green and white top. "Oh god, Dawn..." Tara rushed to Dawn's side, trying to remember all that she could of long-ago First Aid classes as she tried to find a way to stem the flow of the bleeding. She pulled a handkerchief off one of the side tables, covering the wound with it and holding down tightly, taking over from Giles and he spared a moment on the phone to give Tara a look of gratefulness and relief.

Willow however didn't go over to help. She just remained in the doorway, watching everything as though she wasn't quite sure how to handle any of it.

"There's been a call already?" Giles asked the person the phone, "Here? From a cell phone? For..." He trailed off as he fully comprehended what the woman at Emergency Services was telling him. An ambulance was already on it's way to this very address because someone had already called on a cellphone for the same reason Giles was calling right now. Which meant...either Joyce or Buffy had been shot also. And if it was on a cell phone...Giles scrabbled up for the kneeling position beside Dawn and hurried over to the window. The sight he saw in the garden chilled him to the bone.

"Buffy," He said, turning to the others, "She's...she's been shot also. I have to..." He looked at Dawn, not wanting to leave her but at the same time wanting to to go to Buffy and Joyce. Sensing this confliction, Tara told him what to do.

"We'll be fine here, go"

Giles nodded in acceptance of that instruction before rushing off out the room, and down the stairs.

"Willow we have to-" Tara broke off as she saw Willow heading after Giles, rather than remaining in the bedroom to help Dawn, "Will?"

* * *

"Buffy, Buffy, Buffy," Joyce just kept repeating the name as though that alone would keep her daughter alive, "Come on...just a while longer. Please, Buffy. Come on, come on, Buffy..." 

She heard the sound of someone running towards her and she looked up hoping to see a paramedic, though some distant and repressed logic remaining in her told her it couldn't be since she had yet to hear any sirens. Instead she saw Rupert rushing towards her followed by Willow, who didn't seem to be running but rather walking with a quiet menace.

"Rupert...Buffy- she's been..."

"I know," Rupert nodded, taking one of Joyce's hands that had been pressurizing Buffy's wound. He handed her a cloth not unlike the one Tara was using upstairs and Joyce pressed that to the wound instead.

"Who did this?" Willow asked, her voice low.

"Th-the boy...one of those three," Joyce told her, too shocked to be able to make complete sentences, "Warren. He, he had a gun"

"Warren," Willow said the name with such disgust and menace that her eyes seemed to crackle with dark energy. Without another word she walked out of the garden.

"Willow?" Giles called after her but the witch didn't stop for a moment, she just kept on walking, clear direction and purpose in her steps, "Willow?"

"Oh god, Rupert, the bleeding. It won't stop. I can't-" Joyce stopped talking abruptly as she saw Giles' hands were as blood soaked as hers even though he had barely touched Buffy's wound. "Rupert, your hand..how..." Her eyes widened in horror, as something deep down inside her seemed to tell her what had happened, "Dawn."

"Joyce-"

"Dawn," She repeated, looking down at the ground, fearful that if she looked into Rupert's eyes she would see an answer there that she didn't want to see, "Where is she?"

"She is...she was in our room when-" As Giles spoke Joyce looked up sharply in the direction of their bedroom window and saw the bullet hole there, cracks in the window veining around it.

"Oh god, Dawn," Joyce wanted to go to her, to make sure she was okay, but she had to stay here with Buffy...but Dawn could be and Buffy might be...and god, it was all too much. She felt a pain in her lower abdomen as though Lily were kicking her telling her to stay focused and not panic. She was right- panicking only made things worse. If she was going to help both her daughters, she needed to remain collected, calm. That was how she could help them. "Is anyone-"

"Tara's with her now," Rupert told her, "And-" There was the sound of sirens and red lights flashed across the lawn and over the wall of the house, "And the paramedics are here"

"Over here!" Joyce cried out and the men that piled out of the ambulance rushed over in her direction, "Sh-she's been shot...in,in th-the chest..."

"Accidental?"

"No," Joyce shook her head, "He was trying to, to kill her..."

"There's another upstairs as well," Giles informed them and two out of the four paramedics asked him to show them. As the three rushed off in the direction of the house the remaining paramedics helped Joyce with Buffy.

"Pulse is 100 and weak," One paramedic said to the other as he ran an initial check on Buffy, "Lung sounds are wet-"

"Wh-what?" Joyce asked, knowing that couldn't be good, couldn't be right, "What does that mean is she-?"

"Please, miss, just let us do our job," One told her while the other started talking to someone at the hospital.

"Sunnydale General, do you copy?" The tallest of the paramedics said into his radio, "We have a Caucasian female, around twenty years of age-"

"Twenty one," Joyce automatically informed them as though that little bit of information was going to be of any use to them.

"Uh, twenty one years of age," The paramedic carried on saying, "GSW to the chest-"

"Could you stand back miss?" The second paramedic asked Joyce as he and the other started to lift Buffy onto a gurney.

"Is she going to be okay? Is-"

"You have to let us do our job ma'am," The first paramedic told her, "Our first priority is getting her to the hospital safely, remember?"

Joyce nodded numbly, before something occurred to her.

"What about- Dawn? Upstairs...my other daughter. She's been shot too"

The paramedics briefly shared a look that showed they both thought that the woman in front of them was having a severely bad day if _both_ her daughters had been shot.

"They'll come down with her in a minute. They'll bring to her to the ambulance," The second paramedic told her, attempting to sound comforting as they started to carry Buffy away towards the ambulance.

Almost at that exact same moment as though the entire horrific event had been choreographed, Dawn was brought out on her own gurney carried by the two paramedics that had been led upstairs by Giles, who presently was following closely behind with Tara.

"Dawn!" Joyce gasped in horror as she came upon the sight of her wounded daughter. It an injury almost exact to Buffy, except it was in her right shoulder instead of her left. She seemed so much worse than Buffy though. Quivering, convulsing, barely aware of her surroundings, "Dawn, honey..." She instinctively took her daughter's hand but immediately regretted it when she felt how cold it was becoming and mindless of the blood on her own hands, she rubbed her palms against Dawn's to try and keep it warm. Dawn wasn't even able to acknowledge she was there. "Dawn, it's gonna be okay sweetie"

"Just let us get her into the ambulance ma'am," One of the paramedics said, "And then you can ride with your daughters"

"Oh god, oh god, oh god," Joyce repeated over and over and over again in shock as Dawn was lifted into the vehicle. She couldn't even look at her own hands, they were covered in so much of Buffy's own blood, but she was too distracted, too concerned to even make the small effort to return to the house a moment to wash them clean.

"Where's Willow?" Tara asked, having assumed that Will had stayed in the garden to help Joyce with Buffy, but there was no sign of her anywhere.

"I-I don't know," Joyce told her, shaking her head in confusion, "She, uh, she, she left...I think. To find someone. I don't know..." She started crying, loud uncontrollable sobs that she wished she could stop, but found no possible way to. She wiped away the tears furiously off her cheeks with the back of her palms, but Giles pulled her hands away from herself as he saw how she failed to notice the blood this was transferring to her face.

"It'll be okay," He told her, holding her in his arms, "It'll be okay..." He didn't even know how he was able to form these words, when all he really wanted to do was collapse where he stood. He repeated the rehearsed phrase over and over again, not sure who he was trying to convince more- Joyce or himself.

* * *

BOOM! 

The front door of the Magic Box burst open, flying off it's hinges so it crashed into a million stakes on the floor and Xander and Anya who had been doing nothing more crazy than chatting quietly in the store turned in the direction of the store front in shock. Willow was stood there, pure menace in her eyes.

"Willow, what-" Xander began to ask, but his best friend spoke over him as she walked past them, each light blowing out as she went.

"Anya, where do you keep the black arts books?"

"What?" Anya frowned, "Why? You know Giles doesn't want you going near those"

"Someone needs to stop Warren," was all Willow said in reply, speaking in that same low, fierce tone and Xander immediately picked up on that.

"Warren? What- Will, what's happened?"

"I need power," Willow said simply, but she did turn momentarily to explain to Xander though it was with minimal effort and information, "He came by the house. Dawn and Buffy have been shot"

There was only silence in reply, while Anya and Xander tried to comprehend the horrifying information they had just been told. Eventually, Xander amazingly found his voice again.

"Are they, I mean they're not-"

"They're dying," Willow said, almost without emotion. It was cold and unnerving to the couple; not their usual, lovable Willow. She didn't even give them time to respond to this news before she said, "Unless I do something about it" She turned on Anya, her look deadly serious, sinister and threatening all at the same time, "Now where are the black Magick books?"

Anya refused to tell her, choosing to remain completely silent in answer so as not to directly defy Willow, but also to not give anything away. However, for a split second she glanced up in the direction of where the books were kept on the second floor. It was only for a split moment, but Willow caught it and she grinned as she followed Anya's gaze. The grin was not a pleasant one. It was calculating and predatory.

"No, Willow you can't," Xander protested, going forward to intercept her, "We'll find another way to fix this but you can't-"

"**Stop**," Willow said simply without even looking back at him, her voice commanding and powerful and Xander stopped walking immediately. In fact, he found himself completely paralyzed, unable to make an movement except for what was required to breathe. He found he couldn't even blink, only look on at his lifelong friend in shock.

"Xander!" Anya exclaimed in horror, before turning on Willow with an accusatory glare, "What did you do?"

"He'll be fine," Willow assured her, but yet again she spoke without emotion, before returning her attention to the black arts books.

"Willow, no, you can't," Anya began to protest, but the redhead let her go no further.

"**Quiet**," She said, completely empowered and Anya found no sound came out of her mouth anymore; completely mute. Undeterred, she went to stop Willow physically, but the witch prevented her from doing that as well, "**Sit**" Anya automatically sat herself in one of the chairs at the large, round table the Scoobies had gathered around so many times to discuss the latest evil and no matter how much Anya tried, she could not get back up.

That dealt with in Willow's view, she turned to face the library like section of the store, her entire attention focused only on the most dangerous and darkest books. With the smallest and most direct of gestures from the witch, all of the books she wanted flew off their shelves, gliding through the air at alarming speed, before splaying themselves open at the table Anya had been forced to sit at.

Willow moved towards the books, purpose and determination in her stride as she reached out with both her hands, sinking her palms into the pages of the books. She began to drink in the books, a supernatural wind whipping about her as the writing from the pages visibly flowed along her skin, up her arms, chest, face, until eventually they rushed across her eyes and hair turning them both jet black. Anya and Xander could only look on in silent horror.

Once there was nothing more to be absorbed, no more information to be obtained, Willow pulled her hands out of the texts and smiled a sinister smile.

"Perfect," She grinned.

* * *

Everything had just been a complete and utter blur. Joyce couldn't even fully remember how they had gotten to the hospital. She just knew that they were there now, and the doctors were doing all they could to save her babies, but she wasn't allowed anywhere near them. She had to resort to merely watching through a pane of glass. She wasn't even sure whether she should be watching anyway- see the doctors and nurses rushing, working so hard to save her daughters' lives was enough to make her vomit. And every now and then when she was just getting to the stage where she thought it all just too much, that she just wanted to collapse where she was, she would feel a sharp twinge in her stomach that would bring her back to reality. Fighting back sobs that would surely turn to hysteria, she wrapped her arms tightly around herself, waiting for Rupert, who had been forced to fill in forms of all things at a time like this, to come back to offer he real comfort rather than this faux hug she was giving herself. 

As if on cue she felt him place his hands on her shoulders, looking over her head, through the window where they could both see the Doctors emergency operating on Buffy and Dawn.

"How are they doing?" He asked, wanting to turn her around to hug her, to give her comfort, but knowing she wouldn't want to turn away from the sight in front of her, no matter how horrific she continued to think it.

"I don't know..." She sighed, tears in her voice, "I wish I did but I don't...a doctor came out a moment ago and told me...told me th-that they're stable. F-for now at least but...and oh god, I _need _them to be okay." She rubbed her hands across her face, wiping away tears and pushing her hair back off her face. She forced herself to look away from the scene in front of her, and turned to look at Rupert instead, "I, uh, called the Magic Box," She told him, "While, while they were...seeing..." if her daughter had a chance of survival at all, that's what she knew but she couldn't actually say it, "But,erm, no one answered. Not Anya or Xander. I tried their apartment but they're not there either" She looked worried beyond belief and comprehension, "so...I had to. I-I sent Tara to see because...Oh my god, what if they're hurt too? What if...oh god, I can't handle this. I just can't. I can't do this anymore Rupert, I can't...I can't..."

Rupert was just about to comfort Joyce, to offer reassurances they both so desperately wanted to hear, when something in the operating room caught his attention. Willow. But not as they all knew her. Her hair and clothes were black, her skin seemingly paler than usual and her eyes. Her eyes were as though without pupils.

"Oh no," He breathed, realizing what had happened, how much she had regressed. Hearing his words and following his line of vision, Joyce turned to look in the direction of the operating room also.

"What's she doing?" She frowned in panicked confusion, but Giles was already heading into the room also and Joyce had no choice but to follow.

"Leave," Willow commanded the nurses and doctors and through the confusion, the sound of Buffy and Dawn's slowing heart rates could be heard.

"Willow-" Giles began, but she ignored it completely, speaking over him to address the medical staff fiercely.

"NOW"

As the staff rushed out in fear, Buffy and Dawn's heart rates both came to a seeming stop, the beats had slowed so much.

"Willow, we need them to...they're going to _die,_" Joyce said desperately just as the dreaded sound of a long extended beep was heard. Dawn's heart had stopped completely and Buffy's wasn't far behind. "Oh god oh god oh god," Joyce repeated over and over again, barely able to remain standing, "Oh god she's..." Tears streamed down her face that she couldn't even try to control.

"No, she's not," Willow insisted firmly, "They're going to be fine"

She focused intently on the two sisters, drawing so much energy the lights in the room flickered on and off like a subway train, seemingly setting the atmosphere for the powerful magicks Willow was about to perform. The bullets in each of the Summers sisters drifted out of their bodies and hovered in the air above them. Willow held out her palm and the metal beads fell into her palm silently and she pocketed them, before returning her attention to the wounds the bullets had left behind. The blood that had leaked out of each of them,poured out without stopping, now started to be drawn back in, warming their bodies as the wound sealed and lost it's pink rawness, healing completely. The beep of the monitor resumed at a steady beat for both of them. Two healthy, steady, _alive _heartbeats.

Buffy blinked awake blearily at the exact same time Dawn's eyes fluttered open. They were both alive.

"Oh thank god," Joyce said, such intense relief rushing through her that she found herself beginning to cry again as she went over to her daughters, hugging them tightly, "Oh thank goodness you're okay." She hugged Dawn the tightest, unable to believe that for one brief moment she had actually lost her. She never wanted to let go.

"Thank the Lord, you're okay," Giles smiled his own British relief, "Both of you" He said and once Joyce had stepped back, he stepped in to hug the two of them himself, feeling overwhelmed by the utter relief he felt at their survival. He truly didn't know what he would have done if either of them had been lost to them all forever, and he knew that feeling could only be a half of what Joyce was going through. Which would explain why she was crying her eyes out right now, but thankfully smiling a relieved smile through the tears.

"What happened?" Buffy frowned.

"Yeah..." Dawn agreed, frowning in confusion herself, "Where are we?"

"You were both shot." Willow told them straightforwardly, "I saved you"

"You can't do this...either of you," Joyce said, still smiling as she hugged them again. She looked at Dawn, "Don't you ever, ever do that to me again you understand? Don't you ever scare me like that. Just because you're sister has died more than once does not give you permission to follow in her path." Dawn smiled back at that comment, but she was crying too- the only sign of how truly scared she actually was. Joyce seemed to be joking only to overcome that fear, "There will be no more dying in this family"

"Check," Dawn smiled herself, before being hugged again by her Mother.

"We've got to go," Willow said, cutting into the sentimental moment, "We've got work to do"

"No, Willow stop" Giles commanded, "Something has obviously happened to you here and it has to stop now, before it goes too far. This path your own, if you carry on like this, will only lead to your own self destruction...and destroying those around you"

Willow just gave him a look that very clearly said 'save me the speech'.

"We have to find Warren," She told him, "We have to stop him. Before he hurts anyone else. The time to put an end to this has long since passed. Now it ends. Now _he _ends"

Buffy looked at her Mom and Giles in confusion, whilst Dawn just looked worried.

"Will- what's going on?" Buffy asked.

"Where's Tara?" Willow asked the others in reply, ignoring Buffy's question entirely.

"Erm, she, I asked her to go get Xander and Anya. Or tell them..." Joyce answered, but she as too distracted by the disturbing image of Willow in front of her for her to answer properly, or to form coherent sentences, "Willow, what's the matter with you?"

"Nothing, I'll, uh, I'll explain later" Willow replied, sounding almost like her old self, but her eyes remained black and soulless and her hair remained dark.

"Willow, you have to explain now," Buffy insisted, jumping off the table she had moments ago been flat-lining on.

"After we find Warren," Wilow said simply, the menacing tone back before she turned on her heel marching towards the exit. She stopped a moment in the doorway to turn back to Buffy. "Come with me or stay out of my way. Your choice"

The entire group were too taken aback by this whole change over sweet Willow, that none of them knew truly how to deal with it or how to respond. They could only look at each other helplessly. Eventually, Buffy sighed in reluctant resignation.

"Fine, I'm coming with you" Buffy rushed after her, but she took a second to send a meaningful look Giles' way that clearly said 'help'. Once the two women left, everything set into motion.

"We need to get to The Magic Box," Giles stated formally, "Willow's crossed a line that she may not be able to come from- to regress so much...after how well she'd been doing..."

"It's not your fault," Joyce told him, a hand on his arm, sensing his guilt.

"Isn't it?" He asked bitterly and she shook her head in indignation.

"Of course not, you've done everything that you could. She's been doing _so _well, I think...I think she's just scared"

"Plus, she hasn't done anything wrong," Dawn added, trying to keep things as optimistic as possible, "Well, you know, magic for her is a bad, but she hasn't done anything evil. She just...well saved our lives. Maybe that's all she wanted to do. Maybe after she left with Buffy she went back to normal"

"I wish I could believe that," Giles told her, "I really do. But she's got immense power coursing through her and with her only thought being apparently Warren right now, I think we safely presume that she isn't going to end her magics with saving your life."

"Oh..." Dawn said quietly, realizing what he had said made sense and maybe she had just been fully embracing hopeful thinking. She didn't want it to be hopeful though, she wanted it to be solid truth. She wanted Willow back. Smiley, happy, bubbly Willow. The Willow she had seen only a moment ago had scared her. "...I guess it's the Magic Box then"

Before the three left the hospital, Joyce, unable to bear looking at the red stain that had spread across the top right of Dawn's top- a constant reminder of what had happened, had almost happened, took off her cardigan and made her daughter put it on. To keep her warm and to hide the stain. Out of sight, out of mind.

* * *

When they arrived at the Magic Box, they found every light bulb in the store smashed and Anya and Xander were frozen still at the far end of the store. 

"Anya?" Giles called and the woman turned around, apparently not as frozen as she initially seemed. However, she did not get up from her seat and when she started talking animatedly to him, pure frustration in her expression, no sound left her mouth at all. "What happened?"

Anya just looked at him impatiently as though saying 'yeah, like I can tell you'. She then pointed to Xander urgently, mouthing 'help him'.

"Xander, can you move at all?" Dawn asked, tugging on one of his arms.

"Just...a...little..." He managed to say, taking a jerky step forward and Dawn pushed against his shoulder to stop him completely falling over as he started to get his feeling back. "You're...okay..." He smiled at Dawn.

"Yeah," She agreed, "Which is more than I can say for you. Can you move to...like a seat?"

"I...can...try," Xander told, stumbling a few steps forward as she led him to a seat next to his wife, who had discovered that while she hadn't her voice back, she could now get out of her seat.

"What happened here?" Giles asked.

"Willow," Xander replied, "Said Dawn and Buffy had been shot." Something occurred to him and his eyes widened in panic and worry, "Wait, where is Buffy?"

"She's fine," Joyce told him, as she looked at the piles of books on the table, "She's with Willow now...Rupert, all these books are blank" She said, flipping through the now empty pages.

"Pardon?" Giles frowned in utter confusion as he looked at the pages himself.

Anya tapped the books in front of her loudly, drawing the other's attention to her and she mimed placing her hands on the book whilst mouthing the name 'Willow'.

"W-Willow did this?" Giles asked, shock etched on his face as he flipped the pages, seeing not a single word was left. Hundreds of years of powerful knowledge gone forever, contained in one small, once peaceful, barely twenty one year old woman.

"She just sucked the text right out of the books" Xander explained, "We've been here ever since"

"Wait," Joyce said, "You mean Tara hasn't come by? I sent her to look for you two"

"Well, maybe she went to the apartment first," Xander reasoned, "She'll probably get here soon"

As if on cue Tara burst through the door.

"Xander? Anya? Are you here?" She called out, before spotting that almost the entire group was there, "You're here." She then caught sight of Dawn and immediately ran over to hug her, "Dawn you're okay" She pulled out of the hug to ask the others, "And Buffy?"

"is fine," Giles informed her, "But as to how...we have ah, something to ah..."

"It's Willow," Xander stated gravely and Tara understandably grew concerned.

"What is it? Has something happened to her? Warren didn't..." Tara's question trailed off as her eyes fell on the piles of books on the table. Books that had once contained pages and pages of dark majiks were now blank, "Willow..." Tara whispered to herself as the realization of what had happened struck her, "Oh god, what have you done?"

"Nothing yet, not really," Xander assured her, but when his wife slammed her hand down on the table loudly in annoyance he winced and amended his statement, "Except...well, she's obviously overdone the majiks...she's taken Anya's voice away and it's _possible_ she may be on a vendetta for Warren. But that's not for sure. A-and Buffy's with her now so probably everything will be fine and talked through and-"

"Willow's lost it," Buffy announced, cutting into Xander's 'convincing' speech as she burst into the store, not even needing to open the door since it had been knocked off it's hinges by her best friend.

"What do you mean?" Giles asked as Buffy walked over to them.

"Exactly that," She told him, "Warren's a dead man if she ever finds him but..." She trailed off, "What's with all the books? They're empty"

"That would be what's, ah, powering Willow right now," Giles explained.

"She took _all_ the black majik books?" Buffy asked in shock and Xander nodded.

"Yep, drank em all up like mystical Gatorade," He told her, "Then left Anya and I frozen here and Anya...erm, can't talk"

"What?" Buffy frowned.

"She took a leaf out of the Gentlemen's book," Xander elaborated, pointing at his wife and to emphasize the point, Anya tried to talk, but was able to do nothing except move her mouth silently.

"I may be able to fix that," Tara told her as she headed up the ladder to where the remainder of the books were kept and Anya's eyes filled with pure hope, "That is as long as Willow didn't take all the books" She started looking along the shelves, "She's taken none of the white magick books," Tara informed them all, "They're all still here. Intact and uh, r-readable"

"Right," Buffy nodded, trying to regain focus and form a plan, but her whole world was coming apart around her. Willow couldn't be like this, Buffy wouldn't let her be. She wouldn't let the majiks grip her any further, corrupting her, making her everything Willow wasn't. "Well, while Tara's doing that...I, we need to find Willow. Before she finds Warren. I mean when I tried to talk sense into her before...she just cut me off, out of the scenario. She sent me flying with a single wave of her hand," Buffy told the others in complete disbelief. "But where would she be? I mean-" Buffy broke off as she saw her Mom wince slightly in pain, "Mom? You okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine, just a twinge..." She told her, "I'm _fine_" She repeated for Rupert's benefit who was presently looking at her in deep concern. When no one resumed the conversation after her reassurances she sighed in exasperation. "Buffy, you were saying?" She prompted.

"Right...erm, yeah- Willow. She's looking for Warren, right? So we find Warren..."

"You find Willow," Giles completed, "We'd have to do a locater spell."

"Tara," Buffy said just as the witch in question returned to the table with several books in her arms, "You up to it?"

* * *

It was a little while on and Buffy had left with Xander to find Willow after Tara had cast a spell to show them the estimated location of Warren. She had wanted desperately to go along with them to find Willow, but she was needed at the Magic Box and she respected that and so instead focused on restoring Anya's voice,

"What if this doesn't work?" Dawn asked her Mom quietly as she watched Tara mid-spell. Unfortunately she didn't ask the question quietly enough and Anya threw her an expression of horrified panic.

"I'm sure it will work Anya," Joyce reassured her, wincing slightly again as another pain similar to before twinged again. It was as though Lily were kicking extra hard at certain intervals for emphasis after the events of the entire day, making each kick slightly harder than the last. If she didn't know better she'd described it as early...but no, she was only thirty-six weeks. She tried to work out if she could recall what the intervals of these painful 'kicks' were.

"Yes," Giles nodded in agreement, "Tara looked into this very well in a remarkable amount of time"

"Well, it'd better work," Anya said to him snappily to find actual sound came out of her mouth and Tara had finished her spell. "Hey it did! Work!" She exclaimed with a wide smile, "Yes! Yes! I can hear me!"

"Thank you Tara," Giles smiled warmly, "I'm sure Anya is grateful even if she doesn't say it-"

"Oh yeah," Anya said as though just remembering, "Totally grateful. Utterly."

"You're welcome," Tara told her, blushing slightly at all the compliments and thanks.

"Now, I can say what I wanted to say before," Anya informed them all and once she was sure they were listening she exclaimed, "What the hell were you thinking sending Xander off with Buffy?! I thought my silent expressions of anger might've told ya I didn't like the plan! He's gonna get killed"

"Hey," Tara said, her tone uncharacteristically confrontational, "Willow isn't going to hurt Xander. She's _not_ a bad person"

"No," Anya agreed in a voice that revealed she had more to say on the matter, "She's just a powerful witch with vengeance on her mind. Vengeance does things to people, changes them. Believe me, I should know"

"Then let's hope Buffy and Xander can help her before then," Giles concluded and Dawn nodded in worried and eager agreement.

"They will though right?" She asked, pleading for him to agree and say 'yes', "Help Willow? They'll be back with her and everything will be okay?"

Giles didn't want to answer her heartfelt questions with a lie, so he opted to say nothing at all, which seemed to effect her as badly as if he had answered her honestly.

Joyce felt another painful extended twinge and grimaced silently, while looking at the clock. Ten minutes had passed since the last one. Crap...but it couldn't be, it couldn't be.

"No, no. It's too early," She murmured, "It's too early..."

At sound of these mutterings, the group looked over at Joyce and saw her wincing in pain, a hand on her abdomen and it all seemed to fall into place immediately.

At the worst possible time she had gone into labor.


	29. Two to Go

zigpal- the way you wrote all that really showed how much the guys have going on this chapter, haha, but yes the Dark Willow/ Light Tara thing will be fully explored, though not in this chapter. Thanks for review and ee, my claps.

g120- Yes, she died. I was tempted to actually make the death permenant but...but...but I like Dawn. haha. And yes it has got Willow pretty ticked off, but the uber reason why we'll get to in the next chapter...so, watch this space. Haha. Thanks for the review.

Rabidreject- Haha, yes I know- who said flatlines couldn't become...erm...unflat? Haha. And yes, Buffy was the second- she died almost instantly after Dawn- and with Warren being the third, we have one more scooby to, well, kick the bucket. And I am not telling you whether that person will becoming back to life, so nuh. Hehe. Thanks so very much for the happy dance, haha, and the words of 'outstanding'. Very much appreciated- thanks for the review and hope you like this chapter.

* * *

A/N: One downside to this fic. I had to write out one of the best goddamn Buffy entrances ever. ("I'd like to test that theory"). Damn

* * *

A flick of the hand. It was a simple gesture. But with this one movement from Willow, Warren's skin was ripped from his body and his bloodied carcus left behin, hanging between the trees lifelessly, with all the dark greenery around whgat had once been him, covered in splatters of his blood. 

"Oh my god," Xander said in absolute horror as he and Buffy arrived too late.

"Willow...what did you do?" Buffy could not take her eyes away from where Warren had been only moments ago. Willow seemed to choose not to acknowledge their presence before she finally turned to face them. Which was when they saw her face and her expression. This was not the Willow they had known for years and loved for longer.

"One down," She said simply, before disappearing in a storm of magical energy.

"Oh god..." Xander choked out, horrified by what his best friend had done and unable to stand the sickening smell it had left behind. He found he couldn't control the gag reflex and he threw up where he stood. Buffy gave him a moment before tugging his arm to make him stand up straight.

"Come on, we have to keep moving," She told him firmly, dragging him along.

"I think I'm gonna throw up..." He told her and she sighed.

"You just did now _keep moving," _They stomped through the woods, breaking away branches, not letting anything slow them down, "Now she said 'one down' didn't she?"

"So...two to go?" Xander finished, "She's gonna go after Jonathon and Tucker's brother"

"Looks like" Buffy confirmed, picking up her pace, "Which is why we have to hurry"

"But why?" Xander asked, sounding so lost. He couldn't believe Willow, his Willow, was capable of doing what he had just seen. That had been twisted, warped, evil...everything Willow wasn't, "But why go after them? They didn't do anything"

"They're a part of it...and for Willow, right now, that's enough," Buffy explained, "She's got an addictive personality Xander and now she's got a taste of blood..." Neither of them wanted to finish that sentence. "They're at county jail. Perfecting their sitting ducks routine"

"But even Willow does go after them...she couldn't kill them," Xander was adament, "I mean just then...she was out of her head. Warren almost killed you and Dawn so you can understand why she'd...but now"

"No," Buffy shook her head, "Willow just killed somebody. Killing changes you. Believe me, I know"

"Warren was a stone cold killer of women and he was just getting warmed up," Xander said coldly and firmly, meaning every word, "You ask me? Bastard had it coming"

"Maybe," Buffy half agreed, "Jonathon and Andrew don't. I've gotta get there before Willow does"

"We will," Xander assured her, but he didn't sound entirely convinced, "My car's just...here"

His car was a wreck. Doors twisted, tires slashed...Willow had done this, that much was certain.

"Looks like she wants to finish the job without us tagging along," Buffy sighed unable to deny how dangerously far Willow had gone. She turned to Xander, "Meet me at the jail"

"Sure," Xander nodded before frowning in confusion, "But how are you gonna..." Without another word, Buffy set off at a Slayer sprint that was unbelievably nearing forty miles per hour. She leapt over a felled tree without even breaking a stride and within seconds she was out of Xander's sight, leaving him feeling completely helpless.

"That's fine!" He called after her, "I'll just...catch up...you know she's only my best friend you know!"

* * *

"What'd we do?"Dawn asked as her Mom had another contraction, "Should we get her to the hospital?" 

"No," Anya shook her head, "With Willow going all crazy we can't risk leaving here," For once she made perfect, non-crazy Anya-logic sense, "Plus, she's only in early labor. Estimated one thirty-second contraction from every ten minutes to every twenty. For irregular periods. We've got a good while yet before we have to even _think_ about hospitals"

"She's right," Joyce nodded, "I'll be fine for now...but I don't know how you knew all that Anya"

"I have an endless supply of knowledge that no one ever seems interested in enough to ask me..." She replied nonchalantly.

"Well, as much as that information is much appreciated," Giles told her, "It doesn't change the fact that it is debatable whether this is actually the safest place to be...or for long she can stay here...or if Willow has gone too far or if-"

"You're having too many ors!" Anya snapped at him, "Aren't you usually 'deal-with-everything-calmly-as-it-comes guy?'"

"Yes, normally," Giles agreed, "Apologies if the fact it's_ my_ wife in labor with _my_ child causes me to panic ever so slightly"

"It's fine," Tara told everyone in a serene voice that seemed to calm everyone almost immediately, "We will deal with everything calmly and slowly. Don't think ahead on things that haven't happened yet"

"Willow's coming!" Xander yelled as he and Buffy came into the store, dragging along a terrified Jonathon and Andrew.

"How about dealing with things that are happening right now?" Anya challenged Tara.

"What do you mean Willow's coming?" Dawn asked worriedly, "And what are these guys doing here?"

"She's after them," Buffy explained wary of the fact Tara was there, "After in the sense of their blood...I'm sorry Tara"

"Warren?" She asked in reply.

"He's..." Buffy swallowed to try and bring moisture to her unbelievably dry throat, "She killed him. Willow killed him"

"Oh god...Willow.." Tara breathed in horror, sinking into a seat. Everyone else was stood there in silent shock.

Giles blamed himself entirely for this. How could it not be his fault? Yes, he had been re-training her...but if he had guided her from the beginning instead of asking too much of her then leaving her to her own devices. When had it started? Could he even pinpoint a moment? The spell to restore Angel's soul perhaps?Had that been the first step on a downward spiral? And he had been there, supported the entire idea, the entire spell. It was all his fault.

"And now she's after these two," Buffy was explaining, "She can't get them" It was simple understatement, but the implication in her words were stronger. Everyone who was there knew that if Willow did kill even one of the boys, they would never get sweet Will back. She'd be gone forever.

"I don't see why we have to stay here," Andrew whined nervously, "It's a magic shop- it's the _first_ place she's gonna come now she's low on juice"

"'Low on juice'?" Giles repeated, looking over at Buffy questioningly.

"Yeah, erm, Jonathon said something about her draining," She explained, sounding slightly confused by the concept, "When she was trying to run us down with a semi while we were driving here"

"What?" Giles asked in shock, "She tried to...she knew you were in the car?"

"Yeah, she knew alright." Buffy nodded, replaying the event in her mind "She's completely lost it Giles...I don't know how to bring her back"

"We will though," Tara said firmly, "We're going to get her back" It was then that her strong resolve dissolved and she sounded lost and helpless, "W-we have to..."

"And you're right," Buffy smiled reassuringly, "We will get her back" She turned to Jonathon and Andrew, "Now sit" She commanded and they immediately sat in their seats. However, they jumped back up in alarm when Joyce cried out in sudden pain.

"Mom?" Buffy asked worriedly, rushing around the table to her Mother, "What's the matter?"

"She's gone into labor," Anya explained bluntly and at Buffy's shocked face she carried on, "I know- worst timing ever right?"

"But-but-but it's too early," Buffy stuttered in shock, "Not till next month..."

"I know," Joyce nodded, the pain gone now, "But the doctor's said that-"

"...'undue stress could cause premature birth'..." Buffy quoted the exact words she remembered the doctor saying, "And things are about as stressful as they can get right now. So what do we do?"

"Well, we all agreed that with Willow as erm.." Giles looked consciously over at Tara, "with ah Willow as she is right now it wouldn't be a safe option to drive Joyce to the hospital. At least not until this is over"

"She should be okay for a little while longer here," Anya added kindly, but Buffy wasn't happy yet.

"Yeah, but what about if it takes longer? What if Willow is a lot harder to stop- to get through to than we think? Mom just has to stay here throughout?"

Giles' expression in answer to that clearly said 'yes', but the moment Joyce caught a glimpse of it she shook her head adamantly.

"Oh no, no, no! I am _not_ giving birth in a _magic shop_!" She looked at him as though he were insane.

"W-we'll find a way," He assured her, "Don't worry"

"Right, right," Buffy nodded trying to gain some equilibrium, "we just...d-don't worry on that for now. Which leaves us to worry about Willow...I mean this'll be the first place she'll come"

"Then what are we _doing_ here?" Andrew cried out in fear and when they all turned to look at him he attempted to regain some 'cool' composure, "You know...I could summon a demon to kill her"

"So much as suggest that again and well, maybe not me...but one of the people in this room _will_ kill you" Dawn informed him angrily and Tara couldn't help smiling a little, while Buffy just looked proud of her little sister. Sister's First Death Threat. And it worked too; as Andrew fell silent, for now anyway, and sank back into his seat.

"Now if she is running out of energy like Jonathon said," Buffy reasoned, "Then she's going to need a quick and easy charge, but where would she go for that? Rack isn't alive anymore"

"I-I don't know," Giles admitted, running his hand through his hair in frustration. Before anyone could suggest anything at all for where Willow might be, Joyce cried out in pain again, sounding more in agony than before.

"Do I have to go through this alone?!" She cried out in anger, "Or is at least one of you going to pay attention to me for just a second?!"

"Oh- r-right," Rupert said as though only just remembering the more normal crisis they all had to deal with, "Don't worry, I'm right here-"

"I am not worried," She informed him, "I am _pissed off_. I am in major pain here and...I think I'm moving fast into active labor"

"Plus her water broke like near where I'm sat." Andrew pointed out, "So can I move?"

"NO" Everyone's immediate angry reply was in perfect sync.

"Just shut up," Jonathon told him in annoyance, "Just shut up and don't do anything more stupid"

"It was just a simple question," Andrew murmured, looking very disgruntled.

"Right, I can't think with Spock here constantly whining," Buffy said in frustration, before that little complaint sparked an idea in her mind, and brought a focused, dertermined look to her expression. "And Willow's after him and Jonathon"

"Yeah, I'm thinking the two of them are pretty much a beacon for violence," Anya pointed out and Buffy nodded in eager agreement.

"Exactly, so our first step to dealing with Willow is getting rid of them"

"_Kill_ the nerds?" Xander asked sceptically, before smiling and nodding with genuine approval, "I like that"

"Not exactly..." Buffy told him, wincing slightly as she prepared to tell him her _actual_ plan, "I was thinking more along the lines of you and Anya driving them somewhere. Far away from here. Like out of the state far."

"What?" Anya asked, "That's not fair. Why do we have to be stuck with Gork and Dork?"

"Yeah," Xander agreed, "In a confined area such as the car I NO LONGER HAVE"

"You no longer have a car?" Tara asked with a frown and Xander wore a look that so many of the group had worn so often in the past few hours. The look of when they had something awful to admit about Willow, but really didn't want to say to Tara.

"She trashed it," Xander finally said, "Willow- she trashed my car to try and stop Buffy and I getting to these two in time. I had to erm...'borrow' a police car"

"And even that isn't in the best shape anymore after she tried to run us over with a semi," Buffy added, before turning to Xander, "But it's the best shot we've got"

"And what are you gonna do then?" Xander asked, talking to Buffy as it were only the two of them in the room, only the two of them that had to deal with what Willow was becoming. Had become, "Talk to her? She's way past talking, Buff"

"I know, I know," Buffy sounded close to breakdown as she started to pace, "We could find some spell...something, something magicky," She told him, "But please...just do this for me? Take them...somewhere, anywhere where Willow won't find them for a while. Better yet? Just keep moving. Don't stop for anything"

"Erm..." Andrew half raised his hand in the air warily as though he were in class, "I have a very small bladder..."

"Then drink less water," Xander informed him bluntly, before adding, "If you wish to have your bladder intact and still attached by tomorrow, you'll deal, you'll hold it in"

"Does this mean we're going?" Anya asked, sounding highly disappointed and frustrated all in one. Xander looked from his wife, to the nerds, to finally Buffy who was looking at him hopefully, even a little pleadingly.

"Yeah, we're going," He sighed, before glaring over at Andrew and Jonathon, "You two. Get up. Go" He pointed in the direction of the empty door frame at the front of the store and on command, the two boys stood up from their seats and hurried to leave. However, while Andrew immediately ran over to what had once been the front door, with Anya shoving him outside roughly as though he were a pesky seven year old, Jonathon stopped to talk to Buffy.

"I just wanna say...I know we don't deserve it...but thanks. For protecting us" He told her sincerely.

"No, you don't deserve it," Buffy told him firmly and harshly, meaning every word she said, "And for the record we're not protecting you. We're helping Willow. If she kills you then we lose Willow. And I _hate_ losing"

"Oh.." Jonathon nodded in quiet acceptance, "Well...thanks...anyway," He told her, before turning around and leaving the store, then it was only Xander left behind of the four meant to go.

"I hope this works," He said grimly and Buffy nodded in agreement.

"Me too"

"Promise me one thing?" He requested and she looked at him questioningly.

"What?"

"Save Will." He said, sounding sad and forlorn, "Please. She's been my best friend my whole life...I don't know what I'd do if she wasn't there"

"You're not going to have to find out," Buffy told him, sounding much more confident than she felt, "Trust me. We'll save her. I mean it"

"I know you do," Xander smiled weakly, giving Buffy a quick hug before heading on after the others.

* * *

Sunnydale was ridden with all things magickal and one thing it wasn't lacking was low-rate sorcerers. And low rate they were. Willow spat out the after taste in disgust as she tossed aside another she had drained of his magicks. An entire gang of them had been in an alley together, under a bridge that was keeping them sheltered from the night winds and rare rain. They had been dabbling, nothing more than children's magic tricks, but they had each enough energy to them to sustain Willow. When she'd drained all seven that had been there, she felt it was just a doable amount. She smiled as she tossed the almost-lifeless seventh member onto the floor. She felt relatively juiced. Juiced enough to be able to squash the little bugs that had been in league with Warren. Those two had the potential to start the carnage all over again and that time maybe Dawn or Buffy wouldn't be so lucky. Or maybe it would Tara that would be shot. No, Willow wasn't going to let that happen. Which was why she had to stop them. Buffy had broke them out before Willow could get to them and squash them like the slimy bugs they were, but she knew exactly where the predictable Slayer would have taken them. The Magic Box. Which was exactly where Willow was going to head now.

* * *

"Okay, this is worse than I thought," Rupert said a little while after Anya and Xander had left. Joyce was progressing steadily in her labor and the pain increasing with each contraction. On top of that they had no idea when Willow would undoubtedly burst in on them and they had yet to think of a way to stop her.

"Quit with the negative," Dawn told him.

"Yeah," Buffy agreed, "We'll find something...soon...hopefully..."

"I meant your mother," Giles told them and Joyce nodded with agreement.

"Yes, agonizing pain here girls," She told them, "You'd think I'd remember the pain...or it'd be less...but no-o-oh god, another one" Instinctively she grabbed hold of Rupert's hand as she felt another contraction, at a completely irregular and therefore unpredictable time, coming. She yelled out in pain as it happened, holding onto her husband's hand tightly for support. Once it passed, after about thirty seconds, she breathed out in relief, relaxing slightly as she loosened her grip on Rupert's hand. Once she had let go entirely, he held his hand in pain.

"Joyce...y-you hurt my hand...quite a lot actually..." He told her in complete shock and she glared at him in anger and indignation.

"I'm hurting your _hand_?" She asked in a dangerously challenging tone and Giles looked worriedly over at the other women in the room who all immediately avoided his gaze and looked down at the books in front of them.

"I just don't get why Willow is doing this," Dawn said in childlike confusion, completely switching the topic from her Mom and back onto Willow.

"I don't know," Buffy answered, "I don't think any of us do...only Willow does. I think she juts got very scared and now...it's turned to..."

"Anger?" A voice filled in the final word and the group spun around to see Willow stood there in all her Dark Phoenix Glory. Her skin was even paler than usual which contrasted greatly against her black hair, lips, eyes and the black veins tracing finely across her features. Even her usually bright and funky clothes were menacing and black. "Don't act so surprised," Willow smirked as she looked at all their shocked faces, "I knew you'd all be here. Running home to Daddy" She smirked at Giles as she said this, as though doubting his fatherly role completely. "Now...who did you run with? Two little gnats in desperate need of a good killing. Maybe another flaying perhaps?" She grinned as she referred to Warren's own demise which was when Tara stood up and went over to her.

"Willow you have to stop," She pleaded desperately, "It's over."

"It's not over till their gone, baby," Willow told her almost-kindly, "I'm doing this for you, for all of us...we've got to be safe"

"At the expense of being safe with you?" Tara challenged and the look in Willow's eyes seemed to flicker a moment. "Willow, you killed Warren. That's enough. The other two- they've done nothing wrong"

"'Nothing wrong'?!" Willow's rage grew at this suggestion, "How can you say that? They supported Warren through his entire tirade...they killed a woman and tried to_ get Buffy _blamed for it. They sat back while he did it all...they let him shoot Dawn and Buffy. They did nothing- and you know what they say? The worser man is the one who stands back and does nothing at all. I could have stopped them all months ago, baby, stopped their petty games. Stopped them hurting people. But I didn't because it 'was wrong'," She put on a mocking tone, "'it wasn't the right way to deal with things'"

"And you think this is?" Buffy challenged, stepping forward, "None of this is right Willow. God, look at yourself!"

Willow waved an arm and Buffy went flying into the air, only coming to a stop when she smashed into the glass cabinet and fell to the floor.

"Excuse me," Willow said to her calmly, gesturing to her and Tara, "We were talking"

"Willow!" Tara cried in outrage and shock while Dawn rushed over to see if her sister was okay.

"No, no." Willow shook her head as though she were a third grade teacher reprimanding pupils, "She's the Slayer. She's always saying she can stand on her own two feet. So let her." With a loud snapping sound Dawn found herself flung away from Buffy as was Tara flung away from Willow, though not as violently. "No audience participation. No sound at all actually," She grinned evilly, "Or I'll do to you what I did to Anya" She then returned her attention to Buffy who was just struggling to her feet, "Aww...not getting tired already are ya?" She pouted, "I was hoping for a big showdown. Who would win- the Slayer or the once Sidekick?"

"I'm not going to fight you Willow," Buffy told her, "I just wanna help you"

"Sorry," Willow apologized, "I'm not giving you a choice" And with that she threw a blast of energy at Buffy that she luckily ducked with a tuck and a roll to the floor. "Now that's not quite what I'm talking about" Willow said just as Buffy came out of her roll to find Willow was already stood in front of her. Before she could even react, Willow grabbed her tightly around the throat, pressing unnaturally tightly on her windpipe before tossing her into the glass counter. "_That's_ more like it" Willow grinned at the sight of a broken Buffy.

"God! Willow! Stop it! Please!" Dawn begged desperately and Willow looked at her sharply with a glare before breaking out in a sinister grin.

"Dawny, does this upset you?" She asked in mock concern, "Of course it does. Everything does. Poor little crying Dawny, "Mom!" "Buffy!" "Giles!" "Tara!"." Willow looked thoughtful, "You know...you used to be this ball of mystical energy- not human, just energy. Maybe that's why you're crying all the time 'Dawny'. You don't belong here. Wanna go back?" She smiled, "End the pain? You'll be happier, I'll be happier...we'll _all_ a lot a happier without your constant whining," Willow reached her hands out towards Dawn, "Besides, I could use a little pick me up," With Buffy almost out for the count, Tara kept back by a spell and Giles tending to a presently and temporarily pain-free Joyce, no one was there immediately to stop her when she began to drain Dawn of her energy, the green light charging through her. Then suddenly the connection broke off abruptly and painfully as Willow was knocked down by what seemed to be one of the ancient, extremely heavy texts the gang had been researching before.

"Touch her again..." Joyce warned as Dawn rushed over to stand beside her, feeling safer with her Mom, "And I _will_ kill you"

Willow shook her head slightly, to shake away the pain being hit had caused, but she was grinning as she got back up.

"Bravado...always fun seeing that from you Joyce. It's always so..." Willow playfully searched around for a word, "Unexpected. But s'not enough though," A sinister smile tugged at her lips, "Besides...you're not exactly at your strongest right now. You're gonna collapse again in pain in the next oh..." Willow looked down at her watch for appearances sake only, "say five seconds" Sure enough, within five seconds another contraction rushed upon her and Joyce was barely able to stand as she yelled out in pain.

"Now," Willow turned to Dawn again, "Where was I?"

"Mom's right..." Buffy said, standing up not quite steadily, "Do that again and we'll kill you Will. Don't make me do it"

"Oh please," Willow rolled her eyes, "Like you could stop me the state you're in. Now if you'll excuse me" She turned her attention back to Dawn to find Tara stood between them.

"I won't let you Willow," She said calmly and firmly, "I won't"

"Fine," Willow sighed, as though it were all too much bother for her to care, "Whatever. I have more important fish to fry" She announced, "I'm guessing since Anya and Xander aren't here, you've gotten Jonathon and Andrew to head for the hills. Coz that worked _so_ well the last time. Well then...guess I've got some catching up to do," And in the same swirling storm of magicks Willow disappeared to find the two men she wanted to kill.


	30. Grave

**Jason**- I understand what you are saying about different causes do not get the same effects, but I did think over this finale arc for months as to how it would go about without Tara's death and I believe this would still be the outcome. Consider the following:

Willow has an addictive personality and even with training from Giles, that addiction to magick is still present, still within her, wishing to be used and on some deep subconscious level she just wanted an excuse to use that power again. This is a partial explanation for why it happened in the original episode as well.

Also, fear has been known to effect people in different ways. Willow has spent six years of her life, coming face to face with death with her friends dying around her. However, when it was something mystical behind the deaths it somehow put reasoning behind it. After all, that was the life they led and you can fight against evil, gain justice. However, Warren shooting Buffy and Dawn was a shocking revelation for Willow as she realized the mundane can kill them also, which means they are not in the slightest bit safe, ever. They never know what day is their last because not only are demons going to kill them but humans as well. It is this fear that sends Willow into regression, and essentially a breakdown.

She flayed Warren for justice- or really, vengeance. Normal Willow would have gotten justice by perhaps having him sent to jail, or having the crap kicked out of him really, but when the magicks took her over, even just slightly, when she first saw Dawn had been shot, they immediately started to gain control. And since it was coming from a dark place, it fed and energized Willow's dark side which is why she had such a horrible death for Warren. It effects her in the same way, maybe with slightly different outcomes, as it effected Giles when he was in full uncontrollable Ripper mode. Ceasing to care for loved ones and morals as the lust for control and power grows stronger.

It is this reason that she would go after Andrew and Warren. Like Buffy said, she has an addictive personality, and after killing Warren she's greedy for that ultimate control. The control of life and death. But that is the magicks behind that. Her original fear-ridden reason for wanting to kill these two is because they worked alongside Warren and agreed with what he was doing so Willow is terrified that they may carry on where Warren left off and shoot her friends, but that time they may succeed in killing them. And since non Dark Willow always valued her friends and family above all else, this thought terrifies her enough to want to make it all stop for good.

However, the one deviation from the original Dark Willow storyline is the ending the world part. That doesn't happen as for one, Giles doesn't have the magicks to feed her that thought, and also that _was_ powered purely and entirely from uncontrollable grief and couldn't come from fear and the desperate need to protect all she holds dear.

As for the drop in quality comment, I'm sorry you don't agree with how I deviated but I've explained my reasons, take them or leave them.

And on a lighter, more-my-personal-opinion note: Don't call Giles an idiot.

**Rabidreject**- Yes, another cliffhanger and guess what? There's another at the end of this one too. As for flatlines, the last one is in here- hope it shocks and surprises. Thanks for the review

**zigpal**- Thanks for claps and review and as for the big fight to come...well, Willow tries to fight, but...well, I hope you like how I dealt with it and hope you like this chapter.

* * *

A/N: One more chapter of season 6 to go after this.

* * *

No one could quite think straight as they saw Willow's form disappear before their very eyes. 

"Oh goddess...Willow," Tara sighed in shock, "What has happened to you?"

"Giles what do we do?" Buffy asked, in the face of her best friend becoming one of the very things she had to fight, she was desperate for guidance.

"We need to stop her"

"Well done," Joyce said sarcastically from where she was sat up against the table on the floor. "Rupert, you can do better than that"

"I wish I could," He admitted, "But I truly don't know what to do. I don't understand how Willow could go so far in so little time"

"Draining all _this _might have something to do with it," Buffy pointed out, gesturing at the pile of blank books that had once been filled with millennia of arcane knowledge. "It seems to have...I don't know made her power mad." Buffy winced as she walked over to the others, "And wicked strong. And now she's gone after Jonathon and Andrew. We've got to figure out a way to get to Anya and Xander before Willow does. They, they don't know how far she's gone now- w-what she tried to do to Dawn... what are we supposed to do?" Buffy hated feeling helpless, no matter how rare she felt it but that was exactly how she felt right now. Helpless, lost and alone, no matter how many people were around her presently. With the Willow she had known and loved like a sister, almost as much as Dawn, gone seemingly forever Buffy's entire world was falling apart. Willow had always been there for her. Support when she needed it, sweet humor when things got too dark and now it was Willow she had to fight. Had to stop. God, how had things gotten so messed up so suddenly? "We have to do something. We have to do something fast," She stated almost pleadingly and Giles, having been looking at the blank books with intense concentration, turned around to face her.

"I have a proposition you will all most probably detest," He announced.

* * *

"Where are we driving to anyway?" Jonathon asked as Xander sped up even more and they rushed down the streets of Sunnydale.

"Don't really know," Xander admitted, "Forward for now"

"You don't even know where we're going?" Andrew asked incredulously, leaning forward in his seat in shock, "Oh my god. If I _die_ because of your lack of-"

"Oh shut up," Anya rolled her eyes, "No one cares you little weasel." She told him harshly, then seeing his truly hurt look at these words she caved a little and handed a blue bag over to him, "Have a potato chip," She advised him.

"That's not going to cut it," He told her with a 'superior' sniff, but nevertheless he still took the chips.

"Will you just shut up?" Jonathon asked in exasperation, fear for his own life making him find Andrew more frustrating than normal.

"Make me," Andrew retorted childishly, and within minutes the two were degraded to a childish slap scrabble in the back seat. That is until Xander shouted at them.

"That is enough boys! Carry on like that and you can just walk to your painful deaths from here!"

When the boys immediately fell silent at this threat, neither doubting that Xander would actually do what he said if needs called for it, Anya turned to her husband.

"What do we do if Willow catches up with us?" She asked him quietly, and as soon as the words reached him, he focused even more intently on the road as though looking at that was so much easier for him that having to face up to what Willow had become. He didn't want to face that. Willow was... Willow. His best friend since kindergarten, the girl who cried when she broke the yellow crayon, the girl who used to be able to nothing magically except float pencils. Was that really so long ago? It couldn't be.

"I don't know..." Xander finally replied, giving a truly honest answer, "I really don't know"

* * *

"Tara, you said yourself when you were searching for a way to cure Anya that Willow had left behind the books of white magic," Giles stated, obviously going somewhere with his point, but the others had yet to figure out what that particular destination was.

"Y-yes," Tara nodded, "She's only taken the ones that were f-for dark magicks..."

"Which makes perfect sense," Giles nodded, "Fear and anger come from extremely dark places in a person's psyche, so it would follow through that Willow, in that state, would only be intent on draining the resources from places meant to feed, to ah sustain those dark places. Now-" He went to walk off in the direction of the books he was talking about when Joyce cried out in pain and while his instinct was to stay with her, he knew he needed to get those books quickly before they wouldn't have any time left to stop Willow. He was torn, visibly looking from one to the other a moment, but he decided to go with his instincts and knelt beside Joyce taking her hand, no matter the risk to his finger bones he had already experience first hand.

"They're getting more regular now," Dawn told him, having been the only person able to stay with her Mother constantly since she'd gone into labor.

"I know," He nodded, understanding what Dawn was trying to calmly convey. He turned to Tara, "Tara, upstairs on the top shelf to the right, I believe, there are three matching volumes. Fairly large. Gold covers, with white embossed designs. They should be easy to spot, could you retrieve them for me?" Tara nodded and walked off to get them, "Thank you" He was then able, for a moment at least, to return his full attention to his wife, "How are you feeling?" He asked kindly.

"Every seven minutes, at least according to Dawn, I have this feeling akin to having my spleen ripped out, how do you think I feel?" She retorted harshly, but when she saw how genuinely hurt he was by that reply, she softened, but only a little, "Sorry," She apologized, "It was just a stupid question"

"I have them," Tara announcing, returning with three large and heavy-looking gold volumes in her hand.

"Place them on the table Tara," Giles told and as she did so he began to explain exactly what they were, "Now these volumes are all part of the same book. It was written over a millennia ago, around the year 304AD, and was intended to be a collection, a resource, of all white magick known at that time, and considering that was a period where magick was highly regarded, it is suffice to say that was quite a lot. It contains protective spells, healing spells, good fortune spells, any spell directly related to that which comes from good magick." He looked at Tara directly, as he told her the most important point of all this, "Everything that can stop Willow"

"Everything?" Buffy asked sceptically, "These books...they have the power to stop Willow?"

"Well, not the books exactly," Giles said, "But someone with the entire knowledge contained within would have that power to stop her" He then looked back to Tara and suddenly everything fell into place and the young witch shook her head.

"This is good, g-great if it can help Willow. But I can't, I can't learn all this in time. Brief pages, yes, but not all of it. It's impossible"

"No it's not," Giles insisted, standing up to open each of the books to the center page, before turning to look at Tara kindly, "Just take the knowledge the same way Willow did"

"What?" Tara was seriously thrown, "I can't do that. It's...It's not the natural way"

"But right now it's the only way," He told her honestly, "It's the only way to stop Willow. To help her"

Tara seemed uncertain, as though she weren't sure she could go that far, even for the love of her life. It went against everything that was the natural order of things. It was doing this very thing, Giles was requesting of her, that had caused Willow to go so completely over the edge, despite all her training and despite how well she had been doing in it. The pure concentrated knowledge had taken hold of her, taken control and Tara wasn't sure she could handle that.

Yet, the magic that was being held open to her was of good origin unlike the black magicks Willow had absorbed so it wouldn't effect her in the same way. Would it? She was so uncertain as to what to do when the image of Willow came back to her. Willow with dark hair, dark eyes, pale skin and murderous intent. She wanted _her_ Willow back and if this was the only way to save her, then she'd do it. Cautiously, she reached her hands out towards the pages, focusing on what she had to do, calling on numerous entities to help and guide her as her hands glided into the pages and the text started to roll up her arms.

The gold writing that traveled up her skin seemed to give off a white and gold light as it rushed up her hands, her arms, her neck, her face, eventually turning every strand of her light brown hair the same color as the white-gold text. Her eyes, unlike Willow's, remained the same hazel though the color seemed to burn so much brighter, almost shining with power.

She pulled her hands away from the now blank books and almost toppled over as the endless knowledge poured through her, reaching every cell, every sense. It was sensory overload, but after a minute she was able to slightly ground herself enough to be able to focus on reality.

"And now?" She asked, despite her immense power, still turning to Giles for guidance.

"Now go to her," He told her, "The same way she left here. You'll arrive very shortly after her, I'm sure"

"I should go with you," Buffy said, walking over to her, but Tara shook her head.

"No, you shouldn't," She told her kindly.

"I'm the Slayer," Buffy countered, "I have to-"

"This isn't your fight Buffy,"Giles told her, "Not this time. This is Tara's battle" There was finality in Giles' words that brooked no argument from Buffy and she stood aside to allow Tara to leave. She wasn't happy about not being able to be directly involved in the fight, but she also understood why Tara had to go alone.

"Erm...I guess it's your call then..." She nodded, feeling uncomfortable not being the one going for the big battle. Tara smiled slightly in reply, her nerves showing throw, before she disappeared from the store in the same way as Willow before her, though this was in swirls of glowing white lights rather than the storm of black that had enveloped her lover.

Once she was gone there was a sort of deathly silence left behind as the entire battle seemed to have completely moved away from the four remaining in the store. The silence was broken however when Joyce had another contraction and let out a yell of pure pain.

"O-okay they're like every five minutes now," Dawn said, panicking slightly.

"Okay, we've uh we've got to get you to a hospital. Now," Giles said to Joyce, kneeling beside her.

"Uh-huh," Joyce agreed weakly.

"Erm, don't get all offended, Mom," Buffy said, before turning to Giles, "But how exactly are we supposed to get her to the car? I mean she's not exactly in walking mode"

"Erm...I could ah, carry her I suppose?" Giles suggested.

"Also with the no offense clause also Mom," Dawn said, "But she's not exactly, you know, light right now, Giles"

"I'm not saying it would be easy," Giles said, and balked when Joyce glared at him, "I-I thought we agreed to not taking offense" He pleaded and she sighed, wincing slightly as she felt the build up of another contraction beginning, "But ah...if Kowalski can do it, it should be quite possible"

"Kowalski?" Buffy frowned in puzzlement.

"_Streetcar Named Desire,_" Joyce managed to explain (though this made no further sense to her daughters) before she was overtaken by the pain of her next contraction.

"Alright that's it," Giles announced, "We're going now. Come on. Buffy," He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and handed them to her "Open the car, start it"

"But wouldn't it make more sense for me to carry Mom? Slayer strength and all?"

"Buffy,"Giles gave her a look and she sighed in resignation, taking the keys off of him.

"Fine." She agreed, walking off and mumbling 'no one needs the Slayer today...oh no'.

"Right, let's go," Giles said, picking Joyce up, admittedly strugglingly, in his arms and headed out the Magic Box with her, Dawn following closely behind.

* * *

They were just reaching the city limits, driving completely out of Sunnydale with Anya and Xander in silence and Andrew and Jonathon bickering in the backseats when the vehicle came to an unpredicted stop.

"What's going on?" Jonathon asked, "Why did we stop?"

"Traffic hold up," Xander gulped.

"'Traffic hold up'?" Jonathon repeated with a frown, "But this part of Sunnydale...there's no traffic...except us"

"And that's what being held up," Xander replied and puzzled by this both Jonathon and Andrew leant into the middle of the car to look past Anya and Xander and saw that Willow was magically holding up the car in the air, a twisted smile of determination on her face.

"Hello boys"

* * *

"I am never letting another man touch me again," Joyce stated in pain, as she finally found herself on a hospital bed in a room in the labor and delivery ward at Sunnydale General rather than the floor of the Magic Box. At this comment, Buffy and Dawn looked amused while Giles looked taken aback, insulted and also slightly worried. "I said 'never again' after Buffy and then look what-argh,god!"

"Joyce,"One of the nurses helping the midwife said, "You need to try not to scream. It takes up too much energy"

"Really not caring right now," Joyce retorted, taking hold of Giles' hand tightly as had become habit in the past hour. And every time she grabbed a hold of his hand, Giles braced himself for some finger crushing to point of which he was beginning to wonder whether this was simply caused by the pain of the contraction or in fact Joyce was a potential Slayer that none of the council had realized. It was most likely the former, but still, he doubted his hand would be back into good shape for a long while.

"It's okay Joyce, we can do this," He told her and since she was unable to retort that there was no 'we' in this particular situation she settled for a tight second-long smile.

"Right, right, we're almost there," The midwife announced, "Not too long at all..."

"Yeah, just three and a half hours," Dawn murmured.

"I think they're only counting the time she was here," Buffy told her.

"Without counting the time it took to convince them to let us in as well?" Dawn asked and Buffy nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah, well they usually don't let like the whole family in, but we had to make sure everything was okay...you know after everything that had gone on..." Buffy reasoned as she began to frown at the situation.

"You wanna leave now too?" Dawn asked, reading her sister's thoughts remarkably well and Buffy immediately nodded sharply in answer.

"Totally," She agreed, grabbing her younger sister's hand and headed towards the door, "Mom, Giles- erm, see you on the other side" She called before they left the room to instead comfortably watch through the glass pane that, now Buffy thought on it, seemed like the incredibly wrong place to put a window. It was then, looking around, that she saw she and Dawn had not stepped out into the hall has she intended but rather into adjoining back room where all the doctors and nurses kept their equipment for c-sections, childbirth and god knows what else the instruments were used for. "Well, we're in here now..." Buffy murmured to herself, deciding that they wouldn't move until someone officially told them to.

* * *

"What do we do?!" Andrew asked Xander and Anya desperately, never taking his eyes off Willow for fear the moment he did so she would attack.

"You get to die horribly," Anya informed him straight-forwardly before turning to Xander, "But we go free right? I mean she's not gonna kill _us. _I mean she's certainly not gonna kill _you_._"_

At that moment Willow, whilst leaving the car in mid air, starting summoning pure magickal energy in the palm of hand creating what looked to Xander like some power-packing energy ball.

"Don't be sure about that," Xander said to his wife worriedly, before telling everyone, "Quick- everyone, out of the car, now!"

"But we're in mid-air," Jonathon pointed out.

"Then jump," Xander told him simply, but just as he was about to climb out the now open car door, a burst of bright amber light caught his attention and when his sight cleared he saw Tara was standing opposite Willow, and in front of the car. "What the...?"

"Willow," Tara called, taking her girlfriend's attention off the people in the car.

"Baby," Willow smiled, "Come to give me a hand?"

"You know I've not," Tara replied simply, "You have to stop"

"Man," Willow rolled her eyes dramatically, "Is _that_ an overused phrase today. I'm not stopping till all three are no longer a danger to us"

"They're not a danger now," Tara pointed out, "They're just scared boys. You have no right to do this"

"Warren had no right to point a gun at my best friend," Willow countered, glaring at Tara and she nodded in acceptance.

"I know, I know he didn't, but he's gone now Willow. This isn't you, y-"

"Isn't it?" Willow frowned in mock-contemplation, "Feels a lot like me. In fact, feels better than me. Better than the geeky little computer nerd who let people walk all over her. I'm way better than that now"

"No, you're not," Tara told her straightforwardly, "This isn't better. How can _this_ be better Willow?"

"You didn't know me then. You have no idea," Willow told her and Tara shook her head.

"No, I didn't know you then," Tara agreed, "But I can see that girl now. And she's so much better than this Willow. She's still there, inside of you, just listen to her. Does she agree with what you're doing?"

"Shut up," Willow told her angrily, "You don't know anything" The energy ball she had been summoning for Andrew and Jonathon, she now threw at Tara who with one effortless wave called up a protective shield that seemed to shine with a burning white light momentarily as it absorbed the energy ball, before it disappeared completely. "Interesting," Willow said to her, "Come here to tell me magics bad when you've done exactly the same as me. There's a word for this...what is it? Oh yeah," She looked over at Tara pointedly, "Hypocritical"

"It's not working Willow," Tara told her calmly, slowly stepping forward, "I know you're afraid. Terrified even. I know. You're scared you're going to lose us all." When Willow didn't have an immediate response, Tara stepped a little further forward but still remained cautious, "You've always been afraid of that though haven't you? Ever since Jesse"

"How do you...shut up!" Willow shouted loudly, casting an attack spell- one undoubtedly intended to maim permanently- at Tara but yet again she waved it away without concern.

"But that was a different kind of afraid. Demons, Vampires- you expected those dangers. Even when you lost, you were still prepared. But you weren't prepared for this. A simple bullet. Shot by a mortal man. Almost killed two people you love and I know that scared you so much and that was...I understand that's why you killed Warren. Why you felt you had to. I understand that. But this," Tara gestured back at the car in which Jonathon and Andrew were sat with the Harrises, "This isn't you. This need to kill them isn't about your fear anymore, it's about that power inside of you."

"What?" Willow smirked, retaining some of her twisted bravado, "'Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely?'"

Willow may have been mocking the phrase, but Tara nodded seriously.

"And your fear may be feeding it, making it stronger but _it isn't you_. This need to kill isn't you, it was never you. It's the power inside of you, it wants control of you and if you carry on like this you're going to let it. You have to find yourself again, Willow, remember who you are"

"Oh how very after school spe-" Willow began to retort but cut-off when Tara's magics bombarded her with memories.

_It was six years ago. So very long ago. High School. The library. Her red hair was long and they were talking about the first ever vampire she had seen. Jesse had been taken. Buffy was going to do it all alone, but she an Xander weren't going to let her._

"_Buffy I'm not anxious to go into a deep dark place full of monsters, but I do want to help. I need to"_

"_Boy, Willow you've really got the teaching bug, taking over that computer class, tutoring.." Cordelia smiled over a year later after Willow had offered to tutor Buffy for her exams._

"_I love it, I really do," She replied. It was all Willow wanted to do- to help, to teach._

"_I think it's great to do that before you go out and fail in the real world," Cordelia replied, "That way you're not falling backward so much as well...falling forward"_

_Then a year later again. Willow had decided to stay in Sunnydale for university. _

"_There are safer schools," Buffy pointed out, "There are safer _prisons._"_

"_Actually, this isn't about you. Although I'm fond, don't get me wrong, of you. The other night, getting captured and all, facing off with Faith... things just got kind of clear. I mean, you've been fighting evil here for about three years, and I've been helping out some, and now we're supposed to be deciding what we wanna do with our lives and I realized that's what I want to do. Fight evil. Help people. I think it's worth doing, and I don't think you do it 'cause you have to. It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in"_

Willow was back, standing opposite Tara on the road. She shook her head to clear it.

"Why are you doing that?" She asked Tara.

"To remind you who are, to show you that this isn't it," She replied, "Willow I know you're afraid, but you don't have to be anymore."

"I'm not afraid," Willow told her sounding bold, powerful and confident, "I have nothing left to be afraid of." She grinned, "Everyones afraid of _me"_

"Yes you are," Tara nodded sadly, "You are still afraid. After everything you have reason to. Jesse, Dave, Fritz, Kevin and all your friends in your high school AV room, even Principal Flutie. And that was all in your first year in this world"

"H-how do you know all this?" Willow sounded slightly like her old self again as she asked this question, the memory of each loss bringing her pain to the fore as each time Tara said a name, she flashed an image of their death, shocking Willow back to herself, forcing her face her emotions.

"I know you Willow," Tara replied, but continued to reel off the names, "Rodney, Debbie, Pete, Kendra, Ms Calendar-"

"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" Willow screamed desperately, the memories becoming too much for her as she broke down where she stood, "Why are you...just stop it" Willow collapsed into tears and Tara ran over to her, kneeling beside her, holding her tightly in her arms. The car Willow had been controlling moments ago dropped from it's great height but Tara held out her arms and it's pace slowed so it floated gently to the ground instead. She then returned her attention to Willow.

"It's okay, you have to be sad about it, cry about it...you can't spend your whole life living in fear of it Willow or it'll consume you."

"I'm so...I keep thinking if Dawn or Buffy had died. Or what if I'd lost you? Forever? I don't think I could have lived on, I don't know how I could," Willow cried.

"But you didn't," Tara told her kindly, holding her tightly in her arms, seeing Willow's hair color return to it's familiar red, "I'm still here. We're all still here. You didn't lose any of us."

"But-"

"The world is full of what-ifs Will," Tara told her calmly, "Just let it go...let it all go..."

Xander and Anya watched silently from the car as they saw Willow sobbing her heart out in Tara's arms.

"You're not losing any of us...we're all still here..." Tara whispered softly to her.

* * *

He should have been concerned the moment her grip on his hand ceased being so tight. That's when he should have said something. He knew deep down that something hadn't been quite right. Then the midwife, nurses, doctors- he couldn't even differentiate anymore- moved into fast action and he saw that Joyce was suddenly losing consciousness.

"Joyce?" He asked, concern in his voice and panic creeping in their also.

"Okay, it's ripped," One of the medical staff stated, "Inside not out unfortunately. We need..."

Giles didn't even hear the numerous things the nurse requested as he could only focus on the controlled and hurried panic the staff in the room seemed to have slipped into.

"Rupert..." Joyce said hazily, still partially conscious.

"You're going to have to leave the room sir," One of the nurses told him, leading him towards the door.

"But, why? What's going on?" He asked, "What is happening?"

"Someone will inform you properly in a moment," She told him, "But right now we need you outside the room."

Before he could register anything more he found himself in the hospital corridor, only able to see what was going on through a window in the door, and hearing the muffled sounds from within. A moment later though both Buffy and Dawn joined him.

"We were in the back room," Buffy explained, "What's going on? They won't tell us. Is Mom okay?"

"I-I don't know," Giles told her, sounding panicked and frustrated as he began to pace. "They wouldn't say anything yet. She told me someone-"

A man stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"Hi," He said to them, but the silence he was met with showed him the three didn't want anything resembling small talk right now.

"What is happening?" Giles asked and the nurse looked somber.

"Erm well," He began, "I have to tell you, she's...she's hemorrhaging."

"What?" Dawn asked, barely sound to her words, her shock taking away her voice. "But, but she's going to be okay. I mean, it's serious but you-you can fix it right?"

"We've expanded the medical team in there," The nurse explained, "We're doing the best we can." He turned to look at Giles, "Your wife's in good hands. I promise" And with that he walked back into the room, leaving the stunned, worried, terrified family stood in the corridor feeling very much lost and alone.

* * *

"I can't go back in there...after what I was like...what I did," Willow said as she was led to the once front door of the Magic Box. Andrew and Jonathon had bailed from the vehicle the moment Tara had brought Willow to the car. Where they had bailed to none of them knew, and if they were honest, none of them cared. "Oh god... I tried to kill Dawn..."

"No," Tara shook her head adamantly, "That wasn't you. I told you how the Magicks were the ones seeking that control, using you"

"But that shouldn't have happened anyway," Willow argued, "After everything that Giles has been teaching me..."

"If Giles hadn't trained you, things would have been a lot worse," Tara told her not unkindly, her arms still around her as Willow could barely stand up on her own, no matter how much healing magicks Tara poured into her.

"Yeah," Xander agreed lightly, "I mean you could have tried to end the world- gone all apocolypsy," The look all three women gave him for that comment made him realize that that wasn't quite the right thing to say, "Okay, little too early for jokes. I get that"

The group walked into the Magic Box, Willow planning to face everyone there, to find that in fact, they were at the hospital.

"They won't be here," Tara sighed, remembering what she had momentarily forgotten, "They'll be at the hospital- Joyce"

"What? No," Willow shook her head, "I can't go there while all that's going on...I c-can't...I don't...I have no right after..."

But Tara and Xander were already guiding her out, back to the car with Anya. They had to make these steps to repairing what had happened now or they'd never do it. Maybe things would never be the same again, but they had to try.

* * *

"All I can see is chaos," Buffy stated after peering in through the door window to where the medical staff were trying to help her Mom and Lily. It had been barely ten minutes, but her Mom has already completely lost consciousness and the doctors had yet to calm down or even look slightly relieved.

"I just wish they'd tell us something or at least let us..." Giles sighed. He didn't actually know what he wanted in this circumstance, except he wanted Joyce okay. As much as he worried over Buffy dying from supernatural causes he seemed to be constantly facing the possibility of Joyce dying from natural. It was an amazing feat that his blood pressure remained normal.

Suddenly, something in the room grabbed his attention. The doctors and nurses had picked up their pace, rushing around more than before, but above the sound of this was the beep of the heart monitor they'd hooked her up to. The beeps were beginning to have longer and longer gaps between, becoming too slow paced.

"Dawn," Buffy said, immediately picking up on what might be happening and not wishing her younger sister to be here for any of it, immediately handed Dawn five dollars, "Go, go get something from the machine"

"No," Dawn said firmly, standing ground, "No. I'm not going..." She trailed off as the sound of the heart monitor loudly overrode her own words. The beep they were all trying desperately to ignore had become long and steady, no longer having a heartbeat to read.


	31. Rebirth

Rabidreject- Yes, Joyce is the flat line. Bet you _really_ weren't expecting that, haha. And I'm glad you liked how Tara got through to Willow- that scene took me forever, because it just kept coming out all too-cheesy and wrong. Thank you for the review, and yes, after this we're on to season seven.

Buffyangel47- Thanks for the 'wow', loving the word usage and thanks for the review.

And yes, Tara is safe. She causes the uber change in season seven though I've realized...

Jason Barnett- Willow and magics. I know she could have easy dealt with the trio using non uber dark magics but she was afraid and angry (and in the original vengeful) so she wanted to cause them, particularly Warren, the most pain possible when she dealt with them. Dark magics are the only thing that could provide that ability to use maximum pain and torture.

Zigpal- I have only tried to kill Joyce (not including any Scooby related threats which they all have from time to time) once before now. And I like giving you a scare, what can I say? Funnily enough, Xander has some issues with that in this chapter also. Mother and daughters have scared him too many times. Although I will say that I did need Joyce to actually die this time for a future storyline, so I'm not being entirely mean. And I do promise this will be last ever direct threat on her life. Promise. Thanks for claps and review (even though you're accusing me of well...Joycicide)

* * *

Anya hated hospitals. They didn't smell quite right. They smelled too clean to her. Sterile. And sterile was not something Anya Harris approved of. However, given the fact that they were at the hospital for what was labeled by humans as a happy thing, she was willing to make an exception this one time and not complain about having to be there. 

Eventually the four of them reached the labor and delivery ward and saw Giles, Buffy and Dawn stood outside in the corridor looking worriedly into the room which Xander presumed Joyce was in. But why wasn't Giles in there with her? Xander knew immediately, he knew something wasn't quite right.

"Guys! What's going on?" He asked, walking over which was when the sound reached him. The sound of a long, extended unbroken bleep of a heart monitor. No, it couldn't be. Not after everything they'd gone through that very day...for it to end like this. It wasn't fair.

"Xander," Buffy looked positively relieved to see him, as though his mere presence gave her strength. "I-It's Mom... s-she's..."

"She's...dead..." Anya said in complete shock as she looked in at the room, listening to what was going on.

"No, no she's not," Giles protested adamantly, "The doctors..th-there helping. They can..." He also looked in at the room where the medical staff were in deed working to resuscitate Joyce whilst making all their efforts to save the baby also. He had to turn away as he caught clear sight of Joyce's dea- no he couldn't say that word. He caught sight of her unconscious form. It unnerved him. He had to look away as, he saw, so did the others.

"Tara," Buffy said, desperation in her voice as she noticed the witch, while Willow had returned to her normal coloring, was still goddess-looking as her golden hair seemed to shine so unnaturally, it appeared to literally sparkle, "You can fix this"

"No I can't," Tara countered, but Buffy was adamant.

"Yes, you can. With all that...those books. They had healing spells- you could do it. Save her"

"No, I couldn't," Tara was firm, speaking to Buffy in an authoritative tone.

"But you-"

"It's possible." Tara agreed, speaking over her, "But I can't do it. I won't. It's not the natural order, it wouldn't be right"

"Who cares from right or wrong?!" Buffy burst out in anger, "My mother is _dying_ Tara. In fact, she's _dead._ And we both know that those doctors are not going be able to doing anything for her but _you _can! And you're refusing to _help?" _Buffy was disgusted with her, "Who the hell are you? How can you just stand there and _not_ help when you know you can?! You could save her li-" Buffy stopped talking, or rather shouting, at Tara abruptly as a noise reached them all. It was the heart monitor again. Beeping. At a steady rate. "_What?" _Buffy turned around, speaking in genuine shock and disbelief.

"Sh-she's...they did it..." Dawn stuttered through her tears while everyone else remained silent, unable to actually say words as the shock enveloped them, "She's alive..."

"Okay that's it!" Xander suddenly exclaimed through his shock, glaring over at Dawn and Buffy, "I've had enough with you three! You have _got_ to stop dying on us. I _can't take it_ anymore!"

"Sorry Xand..." Buffy jokingly apologized, laughing through her tears of pure relief that were pouring down her face. "Check...no more death scares..."

As the group took a moment to register their relief, a doctors stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"Doctor?" Giles questioned, walking over to the man whilst being acutely aware that the entire group had followed him over and were haloed around them. "What...how is she?"

"Well, we managed to stop the bleeding," The doctor informed them with a warm smile, "Had to perform a c-section of course, but beyond a recovery period obviously needed right now...we have managed to stabilize them both"

"They're okay?" Buffy asked hopefully, "Both of them?"

"Yes," The doctor nodded with another smile, "Mother and baby are doing just fine"

"Oh thank god," Giles breathed, "Can we uh...that is would it be possible to see them?"

"Well she's very tired, more so than in normal circumstances obviously so I'm not sure whether she'd actually register your being there right now, but yes you're welcome to go in. Only for a few minutes though for all you, then I'm afraid we'll have to limit it to only one visitor. She has a lot of healing to do, a lot." He warned them, "It may be a while before she's back to her normal self again"

"Please, we just want to her see her," Buffy said and the doctor nodded stepping aside to let them past.

Joyce was indeed, not in the land of the awake, as they walked into the room and the majority of the staff left. The midwife and a nurse stayed behind cleaning up and tending to the also-asleep baby.

Tara reached out a hand toward Joyce.

"What are you doing?" Buffy asked, "I thought you said you wouldn't help"

"I wouldn't go against the natural order of things," Tara corrected her, "But I can accelerate the healing process. Help her" She continued to reach out her hand, brushing her palm against Joyce's forehead, summoning the healing magicks that were now a part of her and a few moments later Joyce's eyes fluttered open, still tired but immediate fatigue gone.

"Hi..." She murmured, sounding a little confused and lost, "Everybody's here..."

"Yes, everyone's here," Giles agreed softly, taking her hand lovingly, enjoying the fact that her hand was warm and not cold as had been threatened before.

"Good..." She smiled before frowning in further confusion, "Where's here?"

"Oh you're awake already?" The midwife asked in surprise as she walked over with the now clean newborn in her arms wrapped in a pink blanket, "We didn't suspect you to be awake for at least another twelve hours"

"She's a fast healer"Buffy explained quickly.

"Well," The midwife smiled, "Do you think you're well enough to hold her?"

"I think I can manage that..." Joyce smiled weakly with a sigh, sitting up slightly so her youngest daughter could be handed to her. She was still fast asleep, not even woke up crying yet, and her tiny hands were folding across her chest in a peaceful yet also comical way, "Hi there..."

Giles slid past Tara so he could sit on the edge of the bed beside Joyce to have a closer look at his daughter.

"She's so tiny..."was the only thing he could think of to say, taking her petite, delicate hand in his large one, finding himself marveling at it all.

"They usually are," The midwife smiled.

"We'll be back in a moment," The nurse told them, "We'll find an empty recovery room in the maternity ward and then we can move you from here"

"Thanks..." Joyce said briefly, but not actually paying attention as she fully focused on her baby daughter.

"Have you decided on a name yet?" The midwife asked with a smile, just as Tara moved back so Giles had more room. She backed up into a table, bumping against a small vase of two closed flowers, put there for what reason she didn't know, but she definitely didn't want to knock them over and break them, so she grabbed them quickly with her hands to steady them. But the magick still coursing through her poured over the flowers before she could consider to stop it and their buds suddenly opened wide.

"Rupert..." Joyce nudged him slightly to make him turn to see what Tara had done, "Lilies..." She laughed slightly.

"What is it?" The midwife asked, forgetting to consider for a moment how the flower buds had opened so quickly and instead wondering why the woman found it amusing.

"That's what we've decided to call her," Giles explained, "Lilian"

"Lily..." Joyce repeated, speaking to the infant softly, establishing the name for her.

"We'll be right back," The nurse told them before she and the midwife left the room.

"Do you want to hold her now?" Joyce asked Rupert, not wanting to let go herself but seeing in his eyes that he so desperately wanted to.

"Could I?"He asked hopefully, before taking her from Joyce's arms and getting to experience holding her for himself. "She's perfect"

"And a real heavy sleeper," Dawn commented, "Aren't babies meant to cry when they're born?"

"Let's just be thankful huh?" Anya suggested, "I for one do not want to be listening to the sound of a crying baby right now"

"Good point," Buffy agreed before turning to her Mother, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine..." Joyce nodded with a small smile, "Just tired...no, exhausted"

"Dying has that effect," Buffy half joked, only making light to cover the fear she had had.

"Yeah and about that," Xander said, "No more death scares. From you, Buffy, Dawn. I mean I know our lives aren't the safest but all _three_ of you died today." He gestured over at Lily, "If, when she gets older, she starts doing the same thing..." He left the threat open. "You with me on this Giles?"

"Most decidedly not," He replied, not taking his gaze off Lily, "But to be fair I wasn't listening"

* * *

"You know you don't all have to stay here with me," Joyce told the group that were gathered around her bed in a room in the maternity ward in the exact same way as they had been in the previous room, "Besides, I thought the nurse told you that you could all only stay a few minutes" 

"Yeah, well she seems to think you're well enough to deal with us a little while longer," Buffy smiled, "Besides, we wanna stay here...playing pass the child" As she said this she glanced over at Anya who was the one presently holding Lily. The baby had been passed from on Scooby to the next constantly ever since Giles had finally given up holding rights. She had so far been held by Dawn and Buffy and after Anya it was no doubt going to be Xander, who despite stating babies weren't his thing, looked as though he were itching to take a hold of her.

"I'm just glad everything's fine with her," Joyce said, "I was so worried with everything that happened..."

"We were too," Giles told her, putting an arm around her which she settled into comfortably and not without a little tiredness. Tara's spell may have accelerated her healing period, but she was still exhausted from everything.

"Yes, I'm sorry for that little scare," Joyce apologized with a small smile, "I know it was the last thing any of you needed after...wait, where is Willow?"

"Oh..." Xander frowned, looking around, "She was with us when we arrived..."

"Willow?" Tara called, heading back out into the corridor.

"Is she okay?" Joyce asked everyone, "Did...was everything...did it work out?"

"Yeah, Tara did some memory whammy on her I think," Anya explained, still holding Lily possessively, "And then once everything was good the two geeks did a runner"

"We don't know where they went," Xander added, before looking at Anya and holding out his hands a little, "Can I hold her now?"

"But _Willow's_ okay though?" Joyce checked.

"That depends on what you define as okay," Tara replied, coming back into the room.

"Where is she?" Buffy asked, "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," Tara nodded, "She just doesn't wish to come in"

"Why?" Dawn frowned, "Is she afraid we're gonna be mad at her? Coz, coz we are...but not in an angry-stay-out-of-the-room way..."

"No, not exactly," Tara replied, "She doesn't think she _can_ come in. A-after what happened...she's not comfortable"

"What do you mean?" Giles asked, "True her actions were...not without prompting reprimand...but we wouldn't ah, shun her, so-to-speak"

"It's not that," Tara shook her head, "She just doesn't feel she has the right...to be here"

"Tara, ask her to come in," Joyce requesting, sounding extremely tired but apparently fighting it with all her will power until the current situation was resolved. "Please," Tara nodded in agreement, before leaving the room to talk to Willow, "And could...maybe the rest of you leave?" Joyce requested, "Maybe it would be..." She trailed off quietly as she saw Willow walking slowly and self-consciously into the room, being led by Tara, "better..."

Immediately, reacting on the need to get away from an awkward atmosphere rather than Joyce's words, Xander quickly, yet carefully placed Lily in her temporary beside cot before rushing outside of the room. He was quickly followed by all others except Giles, who remained beside Joyce and Buffy, who looked like she didn't want to be going anywhere while Willow was around.

"Please, Buffy..." Joyce said quietly, feeling that what Willow needed right now was not a Slayer facing her with her arms folded, on the defense. Buffy, for a moment looked as though she were going to argue with her Mom before she eventually relented and left the room with a sigh.

Although Willow was glad she wasn't surrounded by faces, she felt in some ways that this was worse. As though she were a teenager about to be told off by her parents for sneaking out a night. Except it wasn't something that innocent. She was being told off by surrogate parents because she had abused magic and killed someone. _She_ had _killed_ someone. Suddenly feeling even more awkward than moments ago, Willow turned to leave yet again.

"I'll just...go..."

"Willow, please," Joyce said quietly and the red-head stopped her retreat, "We're not..." she sighed, "We're not going to..we're not mad at you. At least, I'm not"

"Maybe not," Willow admitted, "But still...the things I did...I don't know how any of you can even bear to look at me. I _killed_ a man"

"A man who almost killed two of my daughters," Joyce commented, "I think I'll find the courage to live on"

"Joyce," Giles reprimanded her casual attitude to the murder of a human being.

"I'm sorry Rupert, but I think what I think and I feel what I feel. Buffy and Dawn would be...they wouldn't be here with us here right now if not Willow. And he did that, he put them in danger, so forgive me if I feel his life had little value."

"See, and now I'm making you argue..." Willow pointed out shamefully, "I really should just go..."

"Willow you're not making us argue. We're not arguing," Joyce told her, "He thinks exactly the same thing. He's just being morally correct"

"Now, Willow," Giles said, effectively entering mentor-mode, "No matter any of our opinions and what occurred, your actions still merit some form of, ah, rehabilitation so-to-speak. Now, obviously our training- though it has taught you basics I'll admit- hasn't been enough for you. I should have realized that an addiction would need more than simple guidance. You require teaching and rehabilitation from people more skilled in the magics than I can hold claim to if you're going to recover from this."

"No, no," Willow shook her adamantly, backing up slightly, "I can't, I won't, do magic again. I can't, ever. How can I use it again after what I did?"

"Lily said you used magic," Joyce pointed out and the other two frowned in confusion so she explained further, "Lily...when she was here. She said Willow was using magic. Confidently. So, if she knew that you can get better, why can't you believe it too?" Joyce sighed a little, "I admit I may have selfish reasons behind this...it's just Buffy, she's gone through so much- please don't let her loose her friend too. Please"

Willow looked away guiltily, accepting Joyce's words, but not sure whether she could live up to the promise. As she looked away her eyes fell on the tiny sleeping form of Lily.

"Would you like to hold her?" Joyce asked and Willow started at the suggestion.

"But, but she's asleep..." She protested.

"And she will be again the moment you put her back down," Joyce countered, "The others have held her..."

"Could I really?" Willow asked hopefully, seemingly checking with Giles as to whether it truly would be okay for her to do so.

"Yes, of course," He nodded, looking to Joyce as though for confirmation, to find that immediate problem solved she seemed to be already drifting off. He slipped his arm out from under, resting her head on the pillow carefully, where she remained in full deep sleep mode.

* * *

"Your Mother's fast asleep," Giles informed Dawn and Buffy, and by extension the others as he and Willow came out of the room, "She's exhausted" 

"Understandable...she like died and everything," Anya nodded in understanding and when everyone gave her a look, she frowned at the, "What? It's not like she _did_ die"

"Yes," Giles nodded, just accepting it as a typical Anya-ism, before turning to talk directly to Buffy, "Buffy do you mind if I talk to you?" He gestured down the corridor, indicating that he wished to speak privately.

"Yeah, sure" She nodded, frowning a little in confusion, but heading on nevertheless.

"Now, it's about Willow," He told her the moment the two reached a side corridor with several empty chairs waiting for them. The two took seats opposite one another.

"Giles, I know what you're gonna say," She told him, "And no, you can't keep training her. I know you said this whole 'cold turkey' deal would be worst, but what you've been doing didn't help anyway. It isn't what she needs-"

"I agree," He nodded, throwing Buffy completely off course.

"You do?"

"Yes. Willow evidently needs more help than I can ever give her."

"So what do you think we should do?" Buffy asked, assuming correctly that Giles had an idea forming.

"There's a coven I know in Devon, back in England." He told her, "They could help Willow a great deal I believe"

"How?" Buffy was skeptical, "How is what they can do gonna be any different from how you've been trying to help Willow all year?"

"They have a greater knowledge of the magics than I can claim to Buffy," He pointed out, "And they've helped many others before that have been in Willow's situation and for a large percentage of the time, the, ah, cases have been a success"

"And the rest?" Buffy asked

"The rest were already beyond saving, Buffy," Giles told her, "And you and I both know what Willow isn't. This will give her a real chance at recovery,perhaps even to go so far as to safely develop of her powers"

Buffy sighed, dropping her head into her hands, knowing that what Giles was saying was reasonable and true, but feeling the whole concept of sending Willow across an ocean for what was essentially rehab, was presently more than Buffy could deal with.

"Fine," She eventually said, sitting up straight again so she could look across at Giles as she talked, "Okay, we'll do it."

"Right," Giles nodded, "The only issue that remains is who is to accompany her. I will obviously have to take her over there, if only for introductory purposes not to mention her own disorientation, but with your Mother and Lily, I can't stay there. And we can't afford to have you leave Sunnydale, so I was thinking that perhaps-"

"Tara?" Buffy caught onto what he was getting at before he could finish.

"Yes, my thinking exactly. As long as she's willing, that is-"

"She'll be willing," Buffy said confidently, "It's Willow. She's willing to do anything for her"

* * *

There's something about sleeping in a bed that isn't your own. No matter how asleep you may be, you still wake up at the slightest noises because they're not the ones familiar to your own home. This was one of the reasons Joyce awoke with a start when she heard a slight rustling noise beside her bed. The other reason she started was the person causing the noise didn't look at all human. 

"Argh!" She couldn't prevent herself from yelling in shock and in turn, the 'visitor' yelled a little in fright also, which was when she actually saw who it was.

"Huh?" She squinted, trying to focus through the pitch black of the hospital room, "Lorne? Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Going to Las Vegas," He replied and when she managed to look at him skeptically despite being tired and confused, he insisted the truth behind the statement, "No really. I'm heading on there after here. But I knew this one had been born and I just had to have a little peek"

"W-what?" Joyce asked, even further confused as she flicked on the lamp that was on her bedside table. Apparently, despite being awake enough to recognize Lorne, she wasn't yet awake enough to comprehend why he was there at all.

"Baby. Born. I. Come. See," He explained monosyllabiclally and she seemed to nod in understanding.

"How did you know?" She asked.

"I have a sixth sense about these things," He told her, "That and a couple of gossipy seers let me in on the news"

"Seers?" She frowned, back to being completely confused.

"Oh yeah," Lorne nodded, "Can I pick her up?"

"What? Yes, sure you can..."

"I ask coz Angel used to be such a possessive vamp over Connor," Lorne explained, picking the little girl up, whilst trying not to dwell on what had happened to Angel's son in recent weeks. "Anyway, like I was saying- seers, the gossipy one anyway, have been yammering over this kid for the past twenty-four hours"

"They have? Why?"

"You still don't get it do you?" Lorne smiled whilst holding her child tenderly, clearly feeling comfortable and completely at ease with the action.

"Get what?"

"The kid here's big news. Half-Slayer, half-Watcher. It's a lethal combination."

"Lethal?" Joyce sounded understandably worried and Lorne hurried to reassure her.

"No, not for her. For the Big Bads out there. Look, whether it's an active power on her part or not, it doesn't matter. The PTB are tuned into her which means the uglies out there aren't happy."

"PTB?" Joyce frowned yet again, feeling like she did the time she first found out Buffy was the Slayer.

"Power That Be," Lorne explained hurriedly, "Cordy's little acronym"

"But I don't want them involved," Joyce protested, "I don't want them watching her. I don't-"

"That's not where your worry should lie," Lorne told her kindly.

"There's more worry?" She asked.

"I didn't just come here for the cuddles, though it is enjoyable," He added, smiling at Lily and holding her a little bit tighter. It had been so long since he had held Connor, but had it really been that long ago? Or did it just feel that long ago? "I came here to warn you"

"Warn me?"

"Listen, I don't think they know anything yet, but you still need to make sure to stay away from them."

"Who?" She asked and Lorne realized he had assumed she knew about the demonic lawyer firm in L.A.

"Wolfram and Hart. Big, bad, evil, demon-ruled, demonic lawyers. They've been obsessed with Connor from the off and somehow I don't think this little one will be out of their area of interest. And by interest I mean the dissecting type"

"Oh God...but how can we...how am I supposed...how are we meant to keep her safe from them?"

"I don't know," He told her honestly, "All I can say is, keep her all low-key okay? And don't be making any trips to the City of Angels. At all. Ever. At least not for a good long while. I'm sorry to tell you all this," He apologized, seeing Joyce's distraught expression, "But forewarned, forearmed?" He smiled, but it only seemed to mildly comfort her, "Anyway, I've got to go now. Got me a plane to catch" He told her placing Lily carefully back down in hospital cot, instinctively giving her a little kiss as he had done so many times to Connor. "I'll see you ducks," He told her, heading for the door. He stopped a moment as something occurred to him, "By the way...what did you decide to call her? The Seers weren't up on the names" He explained.

"Erm, Lily." She told him and he smiled.

"S'nice," He told her, before leaving, walking directly into Giles who, having been in the room with Joyce and Lily all night, was just returning to the room. "Hey fella, how you doin'?" He greeted him simply, before walking on off down the corridor.

"Wh- was that...Lorne?" Giles asked Joyce in complete confusion and she nodded, "What was he doing here?"

"He came to see Lily..." Joyce told him, thinking about all the worrying things Lorne had told her and she was now going to have to tell Rupert.

* * *

And so another season comes to an end. Hope you enjoyed the ride and season 7 should be up in the next week. 


End file.
